Both ends burning
by KyloZen
Summary: Rey discovers that the force is pulling her towards her arch enemy, Kylo Ren, and not in an innocent way. Unwanted lust and forbidden feelings emerge as their heated encounters starts to affect the fates of everyone around them. Be ready for recurring graphic sexual content and a certain amount of violence.
1. The Dark Star

**Hi! I am new in the Fan Fiction business, but work as an author, so I hope the story will hold some measure of enjoyment for you. There is a lot of great fics out here, so I can only hope to live up to at least half of them. A tiny warning: There will be very graphical sex scenes in this story, quite early on and there will be fifty shades of Ren at times. I hope you will enjoy it.**  
 **May the force be with you. Always.**

* * *

Rey had just returned to the rebel base at D'Qar when the dreams began.  
At first it had been common nightmares and she paid them no attention. It was only natural, due to the recent events and the loss they had all suffered. The monster, the one who had fashioned himself a dark lord, was surely haunting many dreams these nights.  
Instead, the strange new path her life had taken kept her thoughts busy.

The path had led all the way from Jakku to the hiding place of Luke Skywalker. She would have been awestruck by this legendary Jedi's presence, was it not for the seriousness of the moment. Han Solo's death had weighed on her every step up the ancient stone stairs and it was with a heavy but determined heart that she had offered Luke his old lightsaber.  
No, not offered. _Demanding_ that he would take it.

No words had been uttered between them then, but Luke knew. He had known all about her and her mission as soon as he laid eyes on her.  
Solo's death had not been news to Luke. Indeed, nothing of what had taken place seemed to come as a surprise to him. Instead, Luke was the one bringing her earth shattering news.  
He had agreed to follow her back to the rebel base, to reunite with his twin sister Leia and to once again become involved in the affairs of the galaxy. That much Rey had hoped for, or maybe even taken for granted.

Then on their way back to the Resistance, Luke had carefully revealed her own obscured past to her.  
Rey, who were used to keeping a steely surface and who always depended on her thick and battered skin, had been distraught. The tears kept running for days and the pain in her stomach was unbearable. She had spent a lot of time curled up in spaces out of sight from the others. Every now and then Luke had come to sit with her. He was mostly silent at those moments and if he spoke it was only about finding serenity through the force. It was a new experience, having somebody around in her moment of grief. She appreciated it more that she would have imagined.

By the time they had returned to the rebel base, she was empty and exhausted. She had gone straight to the medical apartment to visit Finn, finding that he was still in his comatose state.  
Then, grabbing his hand, she had told him because she had to tell someone.  
"I know who I am now." She had whispered. "As a child I trained under Luke Skywalker, can you imagine?"  
The words had come tumbling out.

"I was in his Jedi academy. There were others like me, other children strong in the force, and there was…him, he who did this to you, to us. He slayed the others, Finn. I got away, I don't know why I got to live but I did. I can't remember a thing. I was hidden on Jakku. I was surely only meant to be there for a little while, only until the danger had past, until the perpetrators had been captured, but…"  
The words had caught in her throat.  
"…those who hid me must have… died or… disappeared, for no one knew I survived. Not until now, that is. And Luke must know about my family, but I didn't ask and I think he could sense that I wasn't ready to hear it. You'll have to wake up soon, or I'll go mad."

Rey had been sitting with Finn in silence for a long time, finding the soft buzz from the medical droid comforting. Then she had returned to the sleeping quarters. The room was small but luxurious compared to what she was used to and the bed was ten times more comfortable than anything she had ever slept in.  
She lay tightly wrapped in her blanket, reveling in how soft and warm the pillow was.

She was part of the rebel alliance now. Leia had assured her that she and Finn could stay. It was too good to be true. Yet it was exhausting being around so many people. It was what she had always dreamt of, a family of sorts. The base overflowed with friendly greetings and kind concerns and she had to fight hard not to give in to her usual cold resentment. It was hard to believe that they would care only from kindness. Still, that was what flowed from all of them.  
Her whirling mind finally gave way to much needed sleep, as she decided her way was clear.  
I am meant to be a Jedi. It is my destiny.

She was back in the forest at Starkiller Base. He, the monster, was chasing her through the snow, the skeleton branches of the trees scratching her face as she ran. She stopped in her tracks suddenly and swung around, the lightsaber steady in her grip, ready to strike.  
There he was; his black eyes fixed on hers, his dark curls and robes torn. But his hands were empty. There was no lightsaber, no weapon of any kind.  
"I have come to talk." He said.  
"About what?" she asked, refusing to lower the lightsaber.

He took a step towards her and she instinctively took a step back.  
"My training will soon be complete." He informed her. "I will become a master in my own right."  
"I don't care for your childish ambitions!" she spat.  
Rey noted the scar on his face; the scar she had given him.  
"I am dreaming, aren't I?" Rey asked.  
"And yet, here we are."

He took another step towards her. Rey shifted her foot, ready to take another step back, but the foot treaded on nothing. She struggled to regain balance and cast a quick look behind her shoulder. An abyss was gaping by the edge of her heels.  
She stumbled a short step forward through the deep snow and lifted the lightsaber slowly.  
"Why are you here?" She said.  
"You know why. You felt it too, when you were my prisoner."  
The wind spattered her cheeks with icy nails of snow and her face was still burning.  
She shook her head.  
"Oh yes, you know." He continued. "You just don't wish to remember. But you will."

He came closer, reaching his hand out as if he was making a solemn offer. She clutched the saber harder and shifted to an attack position.  
"If you come any closer I'll take your arm off!" she roared.  
"There is a plan for us, scavenger. I have seen it. The force is calling us to fulfill it."  
"I'll make no plans with you!"  
"Your weapon. It is gone."

Rey stared at her right hand. The lightsaber was nowhere to be seen and as she turned her head to him, a malicious smirk flashed across his face.  
"I'll take you down without it." she hissed, clenching her hands into fists.  
"You do not control this dream." he answered.  
"And you do?"  
"I'm not here to hurt you."

A short laugh escaped her lips.  
"Maybe I am here to hurt you. Like the last time we met, remember?"  
He kept staring at her, unnervingly intense. He was no longer smiling. Good.  
"Turn to the force then." He said. "It will show you the truth. That is, if you dare to see it."  
"The truth is you're a beast that ought to be put down!"

But she closed her eyes and allowed the anger to settle, feeling the waves of serenity wash over her as she reached for the core of her being. The force always seemed to be resting there, like an open gate waiting for her to enter. As soon as the threshold was crossed, the force revealed itself to be everywhere. It was flooding her, every particle of her and all particles that was the sky, the snow, the forest and even him.

Her body was below her suddenly, sprawled out beneath the blanket at the rebel base. There were other places below her, a thousand open windows. She saw him, sitting with his legs crossed in a meditating position. Eyes closed and back straight, a new lightsaber before him. He was deep into trance. Darkness was pulsating from him, like the beams of a black star. It was alluring, this black mass. She was pulled towards it and it moved to meet her. There they were; the white star and the black one, revolving around each other as twin suns, drawing closer with every turn; a necessary order of the galaxy.  
The sight shook her very core.  
His gravity was nearly consuming her and she pulled back, harder than she thought possible.

Rey went past her dream self and shot into her real body fast enough to cause a strong spasm through her limbs.  
Stumbling out of bed, she turned on the light and scanned the room. Nobody was there. Her heart threatened to hammer through her ribs. She wiped her damp brow with the back of her hand and sank down against the wall.

Which was worse?  
That he might have been in her mind while she slept? The strange pull she had felt towards him while being his prisoner, which he so quaintly had reminded her about? The vision of the two stars revolving around each other?

Rey took a deep breath. He was not going to get to her with his tricks. She was not in any way connected to this monster. She refused to be.  
Next matter of importance: Did anyone need to know?  
What if he tried this again and got hold of important information from her?

No. She could block him out. She had done it before and she could do it again. But if what he said was true, that he was finishing his training; then she was in need of improvement fast. She could ask Luke for help of course, but so far the old Jedi master had not mentioned anything about continuing a training she could not even remember and she did not wish to push him.

Rey sighed and rose from the floor. Her few garments were quickly peeled off and she entered the small shower cabin that came with the room. It was a new sensation, being able to cleanse oneself so often. She closed her eyes and winced from the pleasure of feeling the warm water running down her skin, washing the damp anxiety away.

There had been truth in what he said.  
Since the moment they had met, that fatal day when he caught her unawares in the forest on Takodana, she had felt the connection. Later, something had stirred in her stomach as he took the helmet off and revealed his eyes.  
Now, when there was new information on the table, this should be nothing but vague recollections of a repressed past. After all, she had glimpsed a dark haired boy in her vision when she first touched Luke's lightsaber and she was certain it had been him.

But what did the two stars mean?  
There was a twist in Rey's stomach as Han Solo's face flashed before her, then another as she remembered Finn lying lifeless in the snow.  
She pinched her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest, squeezing her upper arms tightly.  
Nothing. As far as she was concerned, the two stars meant nothing.

The heat from the water was soothing, trickling down the nape of her neck like tender fingers, caressing arms and hips with reassuring hands. Fingers drew slowly through her hair, touching the scalp just lightly enough to send shivers down her spine.  
 _Come to me._  
She let her breath out slowly, leaning her head back to a waiting shoulder.  
Then she screamed aloud and spun around so fast she almost fell.

There was no one there, but his imprint hung in the air like the smoke from a recently distinguished fire.  
Rey smacked her hand against the wall where the buttons to the shower was. The water stopped running. She rushed out and threw her pants and tunic on, not bothering with a towel and finishing by pulling a cloak around her tightly.

The rage was searing through her, so hot it made her limbs ache. The hand that gripped her staff shook uncontrollably. She had knocked men half dead for much less and now he was obviously asking for it.  
Luke would need to know.  
Absolutely not about the shower thing, but definitely about the rest.

She stormed out, half running through the corridor. Dawn was still hours away and she had no idea where Luke resided, but she was prepared to wait him out in the assembly room for as long as it took.  
Once there, Rey jumped up on a table and sat down with legs crossed, back straight and the staff resting across her lap. It was the way a Jedi would wait, she imagined. Meditating with eyes closed, focusing inwards on the force.  
Concentrating on anything turned out to be really hard, being this angry. She nearly missed the presence in the corridor outside, only sensing it as the doors slid aside with a silent swoosh.

Rey quickly jumped off the table and lowered her head in respect as one of her favorites in the rebel alliance entered.  
"General." She said.  
The General gave her a gentle smile despite the tired expression on her face.  
"You can call me Leia."  
Rey shifted her feet.  
"I should go." She suggested. "I did not know anyone would be using this room…"  
"Please stay. I don't mind."

Rey watched as General Leia walked towards the holo-table and touched its buttons lightly. A few colors blinked and a hologram of the galaxy emerged. Leia had aged significantly in a short period of time. It was impossible to understand how she still held up. But Leia stood as straight as ever, her calm dignity and authority dominating the room as she scanned the map with thoughtful eyes.  
Rey could sense her suffering as clearly as if it had been her own. The anger dissolved and gave way to something else. After all, he had dealt the real blow to his mother, not to Rey.

The room was quiet for a long time, Leia watching the map and Rey watching Leia. The clothes beneath Rey's robe were becoming really uncomfortable. She wanted to kick herself for letting him upset her enough to skip the towel.  
"Forgive me, child" Leia said finally, "but I could sense your thoughts were on my son as I came in. You must be wondering how we raised him."  
Rey had a small start. Neither Leia nor anyone else had uttered a word about the lost son since the day Han Solo was murdered.  
Rey shook her head.  
"I do not." She whispered.  
"It must be hard to imagine, seeing him the way you have, what he was like before."

Leia's gaze was on her now and the general moved gracefully towards her and took her hand.  
The warmth radiating from the older woman's touch made Rey long for her own parents more than anything. She had sensed it already from Luke as he had carefully avoided speaking about them. They were gone from this world. Soon enough she would ask him what had happened.

"Luke and I are very pleased to have you here." Leia said. "You are truly a gift to us."  
Rey swallowed.  
"I only wish I could have done more." She muttered.  
Leia smiled, her dark, compassionate eyes meeting Rey's.  
"You have done more than anyone ever expected from you. For what it is worth, I am very sorry for the pain my son has caused you."  
"It's not your fault."  
Leia shook her head slowly.  
"My head tells me that." She said. "But the rest of me… I do not expect you to understand. From the first breath your child draws you know you will always put them first. And you will never, never give up on them, for good or for worse."  
Rey only nodded.

"You must think me a crazy old woman," Leia continued, "but after all that has happened I can sense he is not entirely lost to the dark. Not yet. But how to reach him now is beyond me. Though, if not for my own selfish reasons but for the best of the galaxy, I must try. And if he cannot be turned…"  
Silent seconds passed.  
"I'll stand by your side no matter what." Rey promised and meant it.  
Leia stroked Rey's cheek gently and then turned, heading back to the map.  
"Go to sleep, child. You need your rest."  
"I will." Rey said. "May the force be with you." She added as she walked out from the room.

Once outside, Rey leaned against the wall and frowned.  
Leia might not have a way to her son at the present, but Rey did.  
For some reason he was giving her unwanted attention and she had a hunch it would not be too hard contacting him through the force.

Should she tell anyone about this? This plan could prove dangerous and Luke's guidance could come in handy. Then again, what if Luke said no? This opening might be the only shot they got. And worse, what if her enemy sensed that Luke and Leia were behind her attempts to contact him? He was a skilled mind reader and she was uncertain how much she could actually withhold from him. But if he could sense only her own intentions, maybe he would underestimate her enough to let his guard down just a tiny bit.

Leia was right. Personal or not, this had to be for the best of the galaxy.  
Rey strode back to her room, changed into dry clothes and made sure she was comfortably seated on the floor. Hopefully he was still meditating, ready to give her undivided attention.  
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before tapping into the force, searching for him there.


	2. A Visit to the Temple

Finding him proved to be as easy as she had hoped.  
Rey could feel his mind focusing on her as soon as she connected with the force and she followed the invisible thread towards him.

A dying sun cast its dim red light upon a huge stone building in ruins. Dried up vines of an unknown species clung to the bricks and the force radiating from the place was positively intimidating.  
She pushed the rising fear aside and entered.

The one who called himself Kylo Ren sat on the soiled floor in the same meditative position as before. He was facing an old staircase, leading up to a platform where a huge statue sat on a throne. Its stone face and details were long gone, eaten by time and maybe by ancient conflicts. She noted huge pillars near the walls of this space, still holding part of the roof up. There were dust and withering stones everywhere.

He wore the same clothes as when she had met him in the forest. His tunic was severely damaged at the left side of his stomach and at his shoulder. Dried blood had darkened in generous stains around the ripped cloth. His face was oddly serene, though paler than she remembered it, and the scar she had given him ran like a red shock of lightning from his left brow to the right side of his jaw. A thick, dark robe laid in front of him and a lightsaber was placed on top of it. A metal vessel stood on his right side, probably containing water.  
Dark shadows around his eyes and dry lips made her guess that he had been sitting like that for a while.

"Over here."  
Rey jumped and turned towards the statue, surprised that she could feel such bodily reactions in this state.  
He was seated on the top step of the stairway, gazing down at her.  
She turned her eyes to the meditating Kylo Ren and then back to the other one on the stairs.  
Frowning, Rey glared up at him, staying put where she was. She was getting annoyed already. Not a good sign.

He rose and walked down a few steps before stopping.  
"I knew you would come." He said.  
"Is that right?"  
He smiled and she bit her lip hard.  
"Your fury is magnificent. What a sight you would be, wielding the dark powers."  
"That would never happen."

He continued to walk down the stairs until he stood on the step closest to the floor.  
"It must have been very empowering to turn my grandfather's lightsaber against me, the way you did."  
"You have no idea", she muttered.  
"Oh, but I do." He said. "The surge of power from concentrating all that anger into one final blow… that is the highest form of ecstasy the force has to offer."

She needed to avert her eyes from him and started to look around at the settings.  
"What kind of a sad place is this?" she asked.  
"You do not need to know."  
Rey closed her eyes, concentrating.  
"It is…a temple." She said. "Devoted to the dark side of the force. I'd say, one of the first such temples."  
She opened her eyes.  
"Why build such a thing?" she asked, more to herself than to him.

He took the last step down to the floor and walked towards her slowly.  
"You will understand in time, scavenger." he said.  
"My name is Rey."  
"Yes. Rey. The girl who was abandoned."

She looked up, locking eyes with him.  
"I know what you did."  
Her voice did not carry out as strongly as she had hoped, but it had effect. He stopped and seemed to search her face for something.  
"The other children. You murdered them." She whispered.  
"You cannot this easily hope to understand the path I have taken." He said. "My uncle, your beloved Jedi master Luke, has taken many more lives than I could count."  
She shook her head disapprovingly.  
"Why children?" she said, ignoring the comment about Luke.  
"Would you not rather ask why I spared _you?"  
_  
Rey blinked. He was only a few steps away from her when he stopped. His dark eyes glimmered strangely.  
"You still do not remember." He said curiously. "You only know what they told you."  
She swallowed hard. Her mouth felt dry.

He closed the space between them and she wanted to move, but seemed frozen on the spot.  
His hand reached slowly for her cheek and she pinched her lips together and tensed every muscle she had.  
 _If he touches me now I will hurt him.  
_  
His fingers stopped close to her skin. They hovered there for a second before they drew back.  
"Come with me." He said. "I'll teach you anything you want. You will be my next in command and everyone will treat you like a queen."  
Her eyes widened.  
"You must be out of your mind!" She gasped. " _How dare you!"_  
He gritted his teeth, his fury flashing dangerously through his intense gaze.  
"You think I do not honor my father's sacrifice. But I do."  
"You know nothing about honor, Ben Solo!"

He attacked her mind without warning.  
She pushed to get him out, but he was so much stronger than she remembered.  
"Did you think it was all _you_ , that you could have defeated me, had I not been fatally wounded?" he asked, increasing the pressure in her head. "Did you forget how the hairy beast that followed my father everywhere shot me? How I first had to fight off your friend, the traitor FN-2187 and how he buried the lightsaber in my shoulder?"  
"You deserved all of it!" she cried, stumbling backwards from the blows he dealt to her mind.  
"Still, the pain gave me strength for quite a while." He continued. "One of the many privileges that this side of the force has to offer. But you do not know this art. My uncle has taught you nothing."  
" _Stop!"  
_  
To Rey's surprise he withdrew from her mind.  
She pressed her palms to her temples, glaring at him.  
"You are wasting your time if you think you can turn me to your cause." He said. "I am beyond such temptations now."  
"If you do this again," she said under her breath, "if you touch me like you did in my private quarters again, I will come after you and put you out of your misery."  
"Very good." he replied. "Give in to your anger."

She punched him in the face without hesitation, right on the scar. He cried out and staggered back. Her heart was racing as she moved in on him. Rey's fist lashed out again, but this time he caught her arm with both his hands. With a simple twist he sent her flying to the floor, hard enough to knock the breath out of her.  
She tried to get to her feet, but he was over her faster than expected, pushing her back against the floor and pinning her wrists at the sides of her head as he sat on her legs, preventing any attempts to kick him off.

" _I hate you!"_ She cried.  
"Careful, Rey!" he snarled. "You are on _my_ grounds now and I am not known to be forgiving."  
The tears came spilling despite all her attempts to stop them.  
"Why did you contact me?" she sobbed. "You have taken everything from me! Do you get off on this, ruining my life?"  
He squeezed her wrists harder.  
"Stop crying!"  
"He was to be a mentor to _me_ , the one you rejected and murdered! And you tried to kill the only friend I have! How could I possibly join you?"  
He shook his head skeptically at her.  
"You only knew them for a short while. You _cannot_ be this attached to them."

Rey closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. She forced her breathing to slow down, forced herself to remember why she had visited him in the first place. Naturally, she could easily escape the scene by travelling back to her body, but she was not done quite yet.  
She stopped struggling and opened her eyes slowly, looking straight into his eyes.  
There it was again, The Black Star. Anger, frustration and dark lust flared from its core.  
"Kiss me." She said.

He stared at her and blinked.  
"Now!" she commanded, pushing her head up to get closer to his lips.  
He responded all too quickly, locking his mouth with hers in furious desperation. She answered the kiss, letting him in to discover her mouth. There was a strong jolt in her stomach that she stubbornly ignored. For a second she tasted blood on his tongue, probably from when she had struck him.  
Then he shifted his legs to be able to press closer to her and that was all she needed.

With a strong kick he went flying over her head and crashed into the foot of the stairs.  
She rose and stared coldly at him as he sat up with a priceless look on his face.  
"Now you listen to _me._ " Rey said. "If you want my attention, then get your act together. If you break your mother's heart one more time I will not be so gentle the next time we meet."

Rey flew out from the place to avoid any reaction from him and entered her body slowly. As soon as she did, her heart started pounding frantically and her limbs would not quite obey her. She lay down on the floor and curled up, near the void of unconsciousness. There was nothing to do but to pray that he could not reach her in the darkness that came rolling in.

* * *

"Rey. _Rey!"_  
There were people around her. One of them was Luke Skywalker. He had not yet spoke, but she knew without opening her eyes. Somewhere in the background, Chewbacca let out an anxious growl.  
It was Poe Dameron's voice that had reached her first, but it was not until Luke put his hand on her head that she could feel her body again and open her eyes.  
"Have I been gone for long?" she asked as she struggled to sit up.

Poe supported her until she was standing up on her own. Swaying slightly she looked around the room. There were two women she did not recognize. Then there were Poe and Chewbacca. Luke was standing next to her and he was the only one whose face did not radiate concern. His piercing gaze made her uneasy. Did he know?

"We did not see you for breakfast." Poe explained. "And when you didn't show up at the assembly we got worried."  
Rey nodded.  
"Thank you for checking on me. I must have been really tired."  
She felt cold down to the bone and noted that her teeth clattered.  
Luke hung a robe around her shoulders.  
"Would you please leave us for a moment?" Luke said, nodding courtly to the others.  
They left the room at once, casting a quick glance of concern at her before leaving.

Rey sat down on the edge of the bed and Luke took place beside her.  
"Is there something I need to know?" he asked.  
Rey looked up at him carefully before staring at her lap again. She nodded.  
"I saw him." She confessed. "I was at an old temple where…Ben Solo…was. It was a really dark place."  
"Did you travel there in spirit?"  
"Yes."  
"Intentionally?"

She looked at him again, nodding slowly.  
His presence was incredibly calm and soothing and Rey felt more ashamed than she had done in a long time. She was terrified of letting him down and at the same time she simply could not bring herself to tell him the whole truth.  
Luke laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
"Tell me."  
"He came to me in my dreams." Rey said. "I think he wants me to join his side of the force."  
When there was no reply, she continued:  
"Then I figured, that maybe I could talk him into questioning his choices. It did not go well."

Luke nodded.  
"It was a very brave thing to do, but a very foolish one at that."  
"I know." She whispered.  
"I must ask," Luke pressed, "Did you find anything out about his future plans? Anything about The First Order?"  
"He is completing his training. That is all I know."

Luke was silent for a few seconds.  
"How about you?" Luke finally said. "Would you like to finish your training?"  
Rey's eyes widened as she stared at him. Her mouth fell open.  
"I will not let you down." She said. "I will do anything you say. Please. I know this is my path. There is nothing else. I was meant for this!"  
She sensed great pain in him, but he nodded.  
"We begin training at dawn tomorrow." He said. "You can tell me more then. For now, you need to eat and rest. You have much to catch up on."  
Her eyes teared up.  
"Thank you." She said breathlessly.

Luke nodded and rose to leave the room.  
"Wait!" she said. "Please. I mean, Master Luke, I think I am ready to hear about my parents now."  
He got down on one knee and took her hand. His gaze never wavered when he spoke.  
"Your parents were children to a sibling of one of the great Jedi masters of the republic, Obi Wan Kenobi. Your mother and father left you at my Jedi academy, since you displayed sensitivity to the force at a very young age. You were an exceptionally talented child. You still are. Your parents were so very proud of you."

He paused as the tears started to flow down Rey's face.  
"Go on" she pressed.  
"Then, as Snoke started to rise against the Jedi Order, your parents were assassinated by a knight of the Ren Order. Snoke wanted to make sure that no force sensitive beings were left to threaten his way to power."  
There was a stab in her chest.  
"Was Ben Solo there?"  
Luke shook his head.  
"Ben was at the Academy when it happened. This much I know."  
She nodded, trying to quench her sobs.

"I left the Academy that day as soon as I was briefed about the murders. This was, of course, a decoy. When I returned you were all gone. The older apprentices who were supposed to be watching over you in my absence were murdered. All but Ben, who were the one leading the attack."  
They sat in silence for a while. She felt strangely calm as she asked one last question.  
"But if it was not my parents helping me escape the massacre and hiding me on Jakku, then who was it?"  
Luke squeezed her hand gently.

"I do not know." He said. "But whoever it was they were force users, because they made sure you would not remember anything about your past. That way you could not tell anyone who you were or what had happened. They counted on your skills with the force to have been wiped out as well. Someone wanted to make sure you disappeared from Snoke's sight permanently."


	3. Retribution

**Thank you for all the positive reviews! This chapter is the premiere of 'smut' as I hear it is called here. That is, graphic sexual content. Thought I should warn you. Hope you'll enjoy it... and be warned about next chapter as well, btw. ;-)**  
 **May the force be with you. Always.**

* * *

"Again. This time, focus on its energy, not its mass."

Rey shifted slightly and struggled to do as Master Luke told her. She sat cross-legged on a smooth cliff with her eyes closed and focused on lifting a heavy X-wing generator with nothing but the force.  
They had been training for three weeks and she had never felt more at peace in her entire life. Every morning when she rose at dawn, a pleasant anticipation surged through her. She always arrived a lot earlier than her master to the glade where they trained .

She loved the nature at D'qar, the fresh smell of leaves and grass and the mild winds carrying an eternal sense of spring with them.  
Despite all memories of her earlier training being lost, she found that her mind still knew what to do.  
But Master Luke had been right. She did have a lot to catch up on. At times she felt like a rusty tool.

This day it was unusually hard to concentrate, for two entirely different reasons.  
One of them was that Finn was coming out of his coma. He was still not awake, but those five times a day that Rey visited him she had felt a gradual change for the better. This morning she could have sworn that he heard her as she spoke to him.  
The other thing distracting her was not so pleasant.

She had sensed nothing of Kylo Ren since that night when she had visited him in the dark temple and she had not tried to find him either.  
In fact she had done her best not to think about him at all. The dangerous game she had tried to play was best left unexplored. The more Luke taught her, the more she realized the extent of the risk she had taken.

Then last night she had dreamed about him again.  
It had not been like the other visions, when she had actually sensed him there and been aware of herself. This had been a dream of a much more embarrassing nature, where her mind had displayed a life of its own. The details were vague, but she knew they had been somewhere in the forest where she trained.  
They had been entangled on the ground, clothes still on, kissing and touching each other frantically. Her body had been burning when she woke up, her breath coming in short gasps as she noted a wet and carnal urgency that she was not willing to deal with.  
All the showering in the world could not make her feel clean enough.

She should never have given her first kiss to him.  
It could not really count as a real kiss, since her intentions had been anything but honest. Still, her unconscious had made her pay for it and now she realized why a Jedi's chastity was so important.  
"Compassion is what drives a Jedi's every thought and every action." Luke had told her. "Not desire, not greed, not worldly love. Compassion is the only form of love that allows you to act unselfishly."

Rey understood a lot better than she wanted Luke to know. It seemed that every time Kylo Ren had been near, he had brought all kinds of passionate feelings out of her.  
Passion was a trait belonging to the dark side of the force. All the more reason to focus on her training.  
During these few weeks with Master Luke, her mind had settled into a state of more or less constant serenity, a state that had only been disrupted by this dream.  
As she struggled to lift the generator, she knew that the dream affected her results.

"That will be all for now." Master Luke said. "Turn around and clear your mind. Feel how the force resides in everything inside you and around you. In the force, there is only serenity."  
She nodded and prepared to do as told when she sensed one of the resistance members approaching them.  
Rey opened her eyes and turned her head to Luke. He met her gaze briefly before turning towards the direction of the visitor.  
Soon, the resistance member Jecita became visible on the narrow forest path. It was evident that she had been running most of the way.  
"I'm sorry to interrupt." Jecita said, trying to regain her breath as she approached Luke. "General Organa has called everyone to a meeting immediately. There has been news that The First Order is on the move again."

Everyone had gathered in the assembly room as master and apprentice entered.  
Rey placed herself beside Luke by the wall at the back, crossing her arms as if to brace herself for the worst.

"There is a battle raging on Kessel as we speak." Leia began, her commanding voice bringing the room to absolute silence. "The attackers have been identified as The First Order. The four locations they have targeted are all mining communities, distributing a very precious and powerful energy source. It is clear that The Order is preparing for something and the question is how to save the local population from more suffering and how to stop these plans before they can be executed."

A murmur spread across the room as Leia activated the holo-table, showing the map of the galaxy with the attacked planet as a red dot.  
There were discussions, voting and arguments, until a reasonable plan had formed.  
All the while Rey held a hand on her stomach, for a horrible premonition had struck her that she could not quite interpret.

When the orders were carried out, Luke was at the center of them.  
"I will ask you and Poe to lead a fleet to Kessel," Leia said to Luke. "We need gifted pilots as well as a Jedi's powers to figure out the plans behind the attack."  
Luke nodded in consent and as arrangements were made, Rey felt as if someone had just sealed her fate.  
"What is wrong?" Luke asked her.  
She shook her head.

"I have a very bad feeling about this."  
"I sense fear from you." Luke said. "Remember, the future is in constant movement. Nothing is settled. Find your core and rest in it. You will wait for me here and uphold your training while I'm gone."  
"What? No!" she protested. "I want to come with you!"  
"The base will still be filled with people." He reassured her. "Leia will be here, as will some of our best warriors. I cannot be distracted with the thoughts of your safety as I do this."  
The words were gently spoken, but they struck a nerve in her.

"I can take care of myself." She said in a low voice.  
"I know you can, my talented Padawan." Luke replied, giving her a look of unreserved sympathy. "But I am old and I have made many mistakes. I will not bring you into raging battle without proper lightsaber training."  
She nodded then, knowing that it was useless to argue.  
"I sense no danger for the base." He continued. "But your fear is overwhelming and you must get it under control."

As the mission crew made their preparations, Rey fetched the mock lightsaber that Luke had made for her and started to practice the basic positions. Then she fetched her staff and started to run through her self-made training program.  
When the mission took off to face The First Order, she obediently sat down to meditate, trying to regain her balance.  
 _In the force, there is only serenity._  
And bad premonitions.

Immediately after dinner that same night, she went to visit Finn again. His health was improving and one of the medical droids told her that Finn had moved his head slightly just an hour earlier.  
Rey put her hand on his heart tenderly.  
Luke had been wise to leave her at the base. She wanted to be there when Finn woke up. It felt as though his presence in her life would make everything right again.  
"Soon you will no longer be forced to hear all my confessions." She whispered to him. "Soon you will have the option to tell me how nuts I am and walk off."

 _"Come out, Rey."_  
Her heart nearly stopped.  
She lifted her hand from Finn's chest and looked around, even though she knew there would be nothing to see.  
 _"Come out now."_  
She swallowed and backed away from the medical department, heading for her private quarters.

Impossible.  
Why had neither she nor Master Luke sensed him?  
She knew there were ways to use the force to slip under the radar. But if there was an important mission back on Kessel, what was he doing here?  
Rey rushed into her room, took hold of her staff and shut the door, not knowing what else to do.

 _"I will not ask again."_  
She closed her eyes and focused, trying to send an answer back to him.  
 _"I would rather stay in here."_  
The reply came swiftly.  
 _"I could come in, but there will be serious casualties if I do so. You decide."_

She shut her eyes tighter.  
 _"I'll be out in a moment."_  
 _"Do not involve the Skywalkers, or I will come inside."_  
She wrapped the cloak around her with shaking hands and pulled her boots on, trying to think fast. Would he know if she contacted Luke? Probably. Kylo Ren was deep into her mind every time he sent his thoughts to her.

Before opening the door, Rey leaned against it, trying to stop her knees from trembling.  
She had herself to blame and she knew it. What in the world had made her think that she could provoke someone like him and get away with it?  
There was no time for regrets now. She walked out with her back straight and marveled at her own calm surface as she told the rebel guards at the main entrance that she would go for a long walk and might not be back until sunrise.

She followed the path into the forest, more than certain of where he would be waiting. The gravity towards him was very strong, enough to force her to quicken her steps. A small fire could be seen flickering at a distance.  
He had chosen one of her favorite meditation spots as their meeting point. If she survived this, he would have ruined it for her forever.  
Rey did all she could to keep her footing steady as she drew a shaky breath and stepped out from the shadowy trees and into the clearing where he waited.

The fire in the low cylindrical container was richly fed with sticks and branches and would not falter for many hours yet. He stood on the other side of it and she could hardly contain her shock as she saw him.  
He stood absolutely still, his black eyes livid. His helmet lay on the ground and the scar over his face was more severe than she had seen in the dream visions. He was wearing new clothes, very similar to the ones he had before. The lightsaber was in his gloved hand, not yet ignited.  
It had been so different confronting him in spirit form, where she had believed he could do her no real damage.

"Sit down." He ordered.  
She looked at the ground in front of the fire and looked up at him again.  
"If you don't mind, I'd prefer standing." She replied weakly.  
"You are not in a position to argue. SIT!"

She fell to her knees, reminding herself what could be at stake if she did not obey. She held the staff tightly in her lap, even though she knew how useless it would be against his weapon.  
He activated the lightsaber and the glowing blade emerged, casting an ominous red light on his features.  
She squeezed the staff harder, hearing her own breathing coming in unsteady gasps.  
He approached her without hesitation and Rey made a frightened sound as he gripped her jaw and held the lightsaber close to her face.  
"You are not so brave now, are you?" he hissed.

Rey was openly terrified. Yet she could not manage to look away.  
"Perhaps I should repay you for the scar first." He said.  
He released her suddenly and walked over to the edge of the small clearing. In a fit of rage he swiftly attacked a few nearby trees, sparks flying and branches crashing to the ground.  
Rey had small starts at the display but did not dare to move.  
She did not like the notion that he extended his anger to the environment. What if the next step was the base?

"Please!" She called to him. "Tell me what to do."  
He stopped maiming the trees and walked close again, gazing down at her with an unreadable expression on his face.  
"I could take your head off, leaving it for my uncle as a gift."  
He kneeled down so that his eyes were at level with hers, his gloved knuckles stroking her cheek deceptively gentle.  
"I hear you call him master now." He said under his breath. "I'd rather have you calling me master."

What did he mean? Would he force her to follow the dark side only to keep her friends safe?  
It was so difficult to see his intentions. They seemed to shift with every passing second.  
The one thing she could pick up was that something was not going the way he had planned and the frustration came crashing out of him in strong waves. His eyes nearly burned a hole in her and she searched them, trying to understand. Then she caught a glimpse of his thoughts and physically recoiled from the shock.

Kylo Ren caught her arm, his fingers digging into her flesh as he pulled her closer.  
"You are lying to yourself if you think you do not feel it." He said.  
Rey grimaced with pain. She could no longer look at him.  
He let go of her as suddenly as he had grabbed her. He paced around the fire and she was certain that he was about to throw another tantrum.  
She turned to the force with all strength that she had and found its center.

"You are right." She said.  
He came to a halt and looked at her.  
She nodded and straightened her back with a deep breath.  
"It is true." She continued. "I have seen how our fates intertwine. But we have a choice. We could leave things as they are."  
His eyes narrowed.

"You would have it that way, would you not? Following that empty, hypocritical path of lies my uncle feeds you."  
"Or we could go down your path and destroy each other and everything we care for."  
She spoke gently not to inflame his temper again. He only shook his head.  
"I will not let you escape now."  
"I am not running. I am asking you to sit down and talk to me."

He shot her a look of defiance.  
"Please." She added, tipping her head slightly.  
"Is this another one of your charming little tricks?"  
"I made a mistake last time. I am so sorry for that."  
"Sorry, are you?"  
"You can make fun of me all you like." She said. "I take no pleasure from inflicting pain."

With a wave of his hand he sent her staff flying out of her hands and into the bushes.  
Kylo Ren came close and sat down in front of her, nearly touching her knees and blocking the heat from the fire.  
"You are in denial. I felt it as you buried the lightsaber in my face. And I felt how you reveled in your own power as you kicked me off after you invited me to be intimate with you."  
Rey's cheeks were burning under his intense stare.  
"Everybody stumbles." she murmured. "But not everybody falls."

He took his gloves off and reached for her face, touching the corner of her mouth.  
Shockwaves went through her, throwing her completely off balance. This intensity was nothing near what she had felt when their spirits touched. He dropped his lightsaber and drew her closer, a little too rough, holding one hand pressed to the back of her head as he lowered his mouth close to her ear.  
"Give in to it." He whispered, kissing her ear lightly.

She lost her mind as she felt the kiss and turned her mouth to his. Through the sudden haze she could sense how the force was working its magic upon him too. There was a moment lasting no longer than a heartbeat before they pulled each other down to the ground and locked their mouths together.  
Rey was trembling as much from her own need as she was from fear of the violent passion radiating from him. This was his battleground, letting all feelings rage freely, getting lost in the rush from it and riding it with no intention to slow down.

She was no better herself, entangling her fist in his hair while tasting his tongue, moaning aloud as his hand ran down her neck, over her breasts and her stomach, playing dangerously close to her most intimate parts. She pulled at his tunic, not sure of whether she was fighting him or trying to get his clothes off.  
Everything was spinning like a mad fever dream. They rolled around in the grass, putting their hands everywhere they should not be. One moment he was on top of her, the next she was straddling him and suddenly quite a few garments had been tossed aside.

She was embarrassingly wet already, her pulse pumping her overheated blood frantically through every limb, making her skin oversensitive to his touch. Fear gained the upper hand for a moment as her defenses were going down in front of him of all people. No one had ever been allowed this intimacy with her.  
Rey caught his wrists and locked eyes with him. The unflinching demand that met her was as repelling as it was irresistible. He seemed to pick up what she needed from him and she let his hands go. He snared his arm around her waist and touched her face with unexpected tenderness. Despite the gesture, she could feel him trembling from the urgency as much as she did.

His mouth was on hers again, dragging her back down into the dark arousal. She pulled her pants off and locked her legs around his back, all her reservations vanishing in a furious blaze of lust. Not allowing him to control this moment, she rolled on top and pushed her hips down at the hard limb underneath her. He clutched her hip so intensely it hurt, urging her down faster. She nestled her fingers into his hair and pulled harshly, letting him know that she was receiving him at her own pace.

The pain was obliterating at first. It increased as she started to move, but the surge in her stomach from controlling his desperation made her continue. His breath came out as unstable as his entire personality and the arm around her waist tightened. He seemed possessed, not bothering to hide any raging emotion crossing his features.  
His fire caught on to her and she gave in to the wet pleasure, losing all sense of identity. She was one with the movement upon him, feeling her body race on its own accord to an inescapable, pleasant tension that intensified with every roll her hips made against his stomach.

Through the emergency she sensed his will to take control, but she clenched her fist in his hair harder and rode the tension up to its pinnacle.  
The strong currents of the orgasm sucked her down and blinded her. She knew through the ecstasy that she made a lot of noise, but none of that mattered. There were scenes flashing in her head at an incredible speed and for a moment the whole galaxy opened up to her. She could feel every living thing in it; feel the endless compassion for everything as it struggled in its own wheel of life and death.  
She had become the force.

Rey felt his mouth against hers and she softened against him, tasting him passionately as he turned her over on her back without pulling out. He took hold of her throat and drove her hard to his own climax. She laid open to him through the force and felt his pleasure explode inside her as if it had been her own. It swept her away again. Only this time she ended up on a different shore, one of passionate greed and ecstatic pleasures. His idea of absolute freedom.  
Then for an eternity or maybe more, there was only his breathing and his damp skin against hers.


	4. Much More Seductive

**I should warn you once again. There will be dirty business in this chapter. The _entire_ chapter.**

* * *

Rey could hardly remember how it had happened, but as she slowly regained her senses she knew that their bodies were far from finished with each other.  
She wanted to cry.  
The throbbing pain between her legs was enough to shed tears for, but so was the knot in her stomach, burning from both desire and crushing guilt.

Kylo Ren lay behind her, pressing against her back and her buttocks. She was almost grateful for that, since the fireplace did not provide enough heat to keep her naked body warm. His arm was tightly wrapped around her, one hand holding her wrists as if they were engaged in a wrestling match.  
The other hand was slowly trailing down her stomach, reaching down to feel her sore entrance. Even though his touch was light, she twitched as he probed at the moisture there; a heavy blend of his seed and her blood.

A whimper left her lips before she could stop it.  
What had just happened could be nothing but her shameful fall into the void they called the dark side. How could she have jumped into it with such abandon? She was definitely the worst Jedi apprentice in the history of the galaxy.  
This was not a way to repay the rebel alliance for their kindness or to prevent further tragedy from striking the Skywalker family. Luke had tried to warn her. The dark side might not be stronger, he had told her, but it was definitely more seductive.

She closed her eyes and felt hot tears run down her cheeks.  
"You are innocent indeed" he whispered in her ear, "if you think this is all it takes to follow my path."  
He released her wrists and made her turn around to face him. His thumb sank into her cheek as his mouth kissed her eyelids and moved down to taste the tears.  
Rey started to tremble, hating herself for reacting to him he way she did.

"Your innocence is very becoming." He said, his breath tingling on her face. "Still, it is a genuine pleasure stripping it from you."  
Her palms flew up to his chest and pushed hard, getting him at an arm's length distance from her. He tried to move closer, but she rolled away and sat up, patting her hand furiously around the grass to find the nearest garment.  
"I can't believe what you just said to me!" she said, almost shouting. "You are not taking my innocence, 'Kylo Ren', or whatever you like to call yourself! Jakku did a great job crushing all my illusions!"  
He rose on one elbow and frowned at her.

"This could be so much worse for you, you know." He said coldly, contradicting the heat in his eyes.  
"So now you are back to threatening me? Wonderful!"  
Her hand touched cloth and she pulled it up and wrapped it around her shoulders without breaking eye contact. She refrained from trying to stand up, since her legs felt wobbly and strange.  
"And now you'll go straight to you master I suppose?" she continued. "Telling him about your great feat, corrupting Luke's new Jedi apprentice?"  
"Am I corrupting you?" He said, the slightest smirk forming before it disappeared.

Kylo Ren sat up, supporting his elbows on his knees. He looked like the embodiment of wickedness, his black curls in a mess and his eyes burning. His temper was rising; she could feel it and it pleased her strangely that she could get to him.  
"I did have other plans for you." He said in a low voice.  
Rey felt a chill run down her spine and wrapped the garment tighter around her as she caught a glimpse of something in his head. The vision was short and fragmentary, but before he closed his mind to her, it was evident that maiming, rape and beheading had been the original plan. He had never intended for this to take place.  
Rey only stared at him, not knowing how to react.

"Is that… how this is going to end?" she finally asked.  
He opened his mouth to say something but shut it again. She sensed a great conflict in him and he was furious about it.  
"Why would you do something like that?" she pressed.  
She tipped her head to the side, watching him closely for any visible response.  
"You are forgetting who I am." He said between clenched teeth.  
"I know who you are." She replied. "The force is practically screaming it to my face. But first you ask me to join you and then you want to murder me that way?"  
"Do not be a hypocrite. You have tried two out of three already."

She swallowed and shook her head.  
"I could not have killed you." She said. "I knew that. I wanted to…but I couldn't."  
"See how simple it is?" He snapped.  
She turned her head away.  
It became difficult to hold on to the anger, despite the brutality of the vision she had seen, for she had sensed something else along with it, small as a grain of sand in an otherwise empty universe. Leia had been right. And this moment could be all Rey had to make a move.

She crept forward carefully and rose on her knees in front of him to get in level with his face. There was an instinct to hurt him for what he had planned for her. Instead she acted on a stronger instinct. The small whisper of light she had felt in him was drawing her in, connecting with her own place in the force.  
Rey put her hands on his cheeks, feeling the jolt of electricity as she touched him and bent down to put her forehead against his.  
He was holding his breath.

"I cannot join your side." She whispered. "You must know this."  
"Why not?" He whispered back. "Black suits you very well."  
She looked down and noticed that she was wrapped up in his robe. Her face and ears went hot. His hands slipped underneath the robe and settled on her naked skin.  
It was not at all worthy to blush like a little girl in front of him. The only consolation was that he did not seem to have as much control as he wanted either.  
She kissed him gently, drawing a deep breath of satisfaction from feeling his mouth work with hers again.

He put a hand on the small of her back and pushed her close, adjusting their legs so that she straddled him. He was hard against her. His free hand pulled greedily at the robe that shielded her privacy.  
She broke the kiss and gave him a pleading look.  
"Don't." She whispered. "It hurts."  
He tipped her backwards so that she landed on the grass and put his weight over her. His heart was beating fast against hers and she became afraid of him suddenly, realizing that someone who had killed his father probably did not see rape as a big issue.  
He had her cleverly locked on the ground already, holding her wrists by the sides of her head, much like he had done in the dark temple.

She was trembling.  
"Please. Don't."  
He looked at her for a few seconds with a dangerous glint in his eyes.  
Then he released her wrists and eased his weight over her a little. He brushed his thumb against her lips and her hands came up to touch his arms. His body was hardened from what must be years of battle training and she could feel scars under her fingers, though none as big and deep as the one on his face.  
His hand was between her legs suddenly, touching not her opening, but the small sensitive knot further up.

She grabbed hold of his arms and let out a loud gasp.  
He moved his fingers while watching her face intensely, searching for her triggers.  
Within seconds, Rey was squirming and moving her hips helplessly against him. She struggled for breath, moaned and whimpered, feeling all blood rush to her skin.  
This felt a lot more intimate than their earlier tumble in the grass, for this sort of touching she only did to herself in complete solitude.  
She had to be dark red in the face, the way it burned.

His mouth graced her neck and sucked at the sensitive skin there, making her wince more violently than she ever had. The hot and wet sensation was driving her mad.  
She had become abundantly wet and he did not waste the opportunity to put a finger at her opening, teasing her there while forcing her to release the last strings of control.  
She came hard, throwing her head to the side and pinching her eyes tightly together, moaning in shallow gasps while the all-engulfing waves kept coming. Pearls of sweat trickled down her brow and her temples. Her hips pressed up against his hand, seemingly weightless.  
Words came out of her, pleading with him underneath the sobs, begging him not to stop.

As she slowly descended from the pulsating bliss, she put her arms around his back and pressed her lips intensely against his mouth.  
He answered her all too readily, pushing his tongue inside her and grinding his hips against hers to let her know he was not yet content.  
Rey ended the kiss and sloughed forth on her back until her mouth was in level with his belly. She kissed him there while timidly putting her hand on his hard limb, feeling it twitch at her touch. His hand went under her head and she understood what he wanted from her.

Carefully tasting it, she finally put it into her mouth and had to press her hand against his hip to prevent him from pushing in further. His hand was grasping her hair every now and then, urging her on as she found the sensitive spots with her tongue.  
There was something strangely pleasant in the act, having him at her mercy to get release.  
Now he was the one breathing unevenly, following her pace and losing his cool in front of her.

He started to make sounds and push harder against her. It did not take long at all before he took a strong grip of her hair and held her steady while driving further inside with short thrusts. Rey struggled to swallow the hot liquid that filled her mouth. The intense pleasure he felt ran through her as well and reignited her lust at a speed she could hardly believe.  
He took his time drawing out of her mouth. By then she was hopelessly wet again, more than willing to receive his tight embrace and hungry kisses.  
This time, they were both a little softer, a little more intimate when they made out.

Rey was beyond tired, but her body would not let her rest. Her fingers found their way down to the throbbing moisture and moved there until the climax was close again. He encouraged her with his touch and intensity in the kiss until she could not hold back any longer.  
She moaned wantonly into his mouth, not knowing how there could be any desires left to release.  
When it was all done, she curled up like a small child, shaking, feeling him embracing her from behind. He pulled his robe over them, holding her as tightly as he had before. Only this time he did not hold her wrists. And she felt no need to cry.

Drowsiness came over her, but it was not a good idea to nod off. Then again, none of this was a good idea. But the memory of him dragging her unconscious to Starkiller base was still fresh in her mind.  
"I can do that whenever I choose anyway." He said. "Sleep."  
Her eyes fluttered open.  
"Not to Starkiller Base, you can't." she whispered. "Go to sleep yourself."  
His grip around her waist tightened for a moment as if to warn her, but he said nothing.

Rey closed her eyes and went to a private place in her mind.  
He could kill her at any moment. It was not what she was picking up from him now, but his temper was as fickle as the sands at the Sinking Fields on Jakku. If her instinct proved right, he was going with the flow of the passion as much as she did, hoping that it would lead to a natural conclusion.  
She had prepared to die as she entered the forest this night and there was no guarantee it was not going to happen. Then, maybe this was not the worst way to die, surrounded by the smells and the sounds of the forest that she loved.

A vision of Luke Skywalker flickered by and she tried to push it away.  
No. She could not die. Not like this.  
It would not be fair neither to Master Luke nor to General Leia to let them find her corpse in some hideous state, once again getting evidence that Ben Solo could be beyond all hope. She needed to know if Kylo Ren was planning to kill her.

She opened her mind to him again, reaching into his thoughts.  
He was quick to shut her out.  
"I said sleep." He whispered and put his hand on her head.  
There it was, the inescapable signature of the force being used. She was pulled down into a dreamless dark place, one last thought passing her mind before she was out.  
 _I cannot fail Leia._


	5. Awakening

There was only darkness, without a past or a future.  
Then there was anticipation. Something was about to happen or had already happened.

Rey was a child again, feeling the dry and hot winds against her face as the hand yanked her out of the shuttle. They were in a hurry, the tall one dragging her past the tents and into a shelter of sorts. A familiar, ugly face appeared from the shadows. Currency went from one hand to another. A harsh voice was giving orders.  
Then her protector, the one who had saved her, bent down to look her in the eye.  
He spoke and everything in her head was erased except his words.

She watched in horror as he turned and walked out of the shelter and back to the shuttle.  
"No!" She cried. "Don't go!"  
The ugly one took her arm in a sturdy grip and held her close as she tried to follow.  
Her protector turned around.  
"Wait for me here." he said. "I will come back for you."  
Someone stroked her hair then and she could have sworn it was him, her protector, who did this. But he was already by the door and Rey was no longer at the shelter.

The sun warmed her face.  
It was not the obnoxious heat of the midday sun on Jakku, but a soft heat that brought her frozen limbs to life. She rolled over and opened her eyes.  
She was lying in the grass, looking at a heap of her own clothes. The staff lay on top of the heap. She was covered by her own robe, but it was not nearly as warm as his had been.  
She sat up, a little too fast for her stiff back and neck, and looked around.

She was still in the forest, in the middle of the clearing. The fire had burned out and he was nowhere to be seen. It might as well had been a bad dream, had it not been for the state of her body.  
Her mouth was dry and her muscles exhausted. A headache was building up as she shifted to get on her feet. Holding the robe tightly around her, she stood up and tried to sense him.  
He was nowhere around, or he shielded himself from her. But there were others closing in, following the same narrow path in the forest as she had done earlier. Resistance members.

Rey became acutely self-conscious.  
Her hands and feet were not nearly as lithe as usual, but she struggled to get dressed, noticing a rift in her tunic that had to be dealt with later. She wrapped the robe around her tightly and ran her fingers through her loose hair, trying to get the twigs and leaves out.

"Rey! Thank the Maker!"  
Several resistance members appeared from the path. One of them was Trosh, a man who had confided in Rey about how he had lost his entire family in a raid executed by The First Order. They had formed a special bond during her short time with The Resistance and it struck her how hard it would be lying to his face. To anyone's face.

BB-8 came rolling close behind them, making a lot of excited beeps.  
They stopped at a distance from her, as if they held respect for the grounds she stood on.  
"We were worried when you were not back by dawn." Trosh said apologetically.  
"I'm alright." She said, moved by his concern. "I fell asleep while meditating. I did not mean to cause alarm."

Rey walked up to them and felt heavier with every step. So that had been lie number one. How many more would she tell before the day was over?  
"What happened to the trees?" One of them asked.  
Rey turned around slowly, seeing the damage Kylo Ren had done to the branches. There was a lot more damage now, reaching into the forest, as if he had been determined to make a new path and then changed his mind.  
She did not answer and none of them pressed the matter further. Instead she was handed a small water container and she took it with gratitude and drank.

BB-8 kept rolling in front of her, making loud noises to get her attention.  
"What is it?" she asked.  
A series of beeps made her wonder if she had heard right. But the beeps were repeated in the exact same order again and again until it sank in.  
"He's awake? _Finn's_ awake?"  
"Yes, we were just about to tell you." Trosh said. "He woke an hour ago. He asked for you as soon as he opened his eyes."

Rey started to run. She ignored the pain in her legs. All exhaustion seemed to have left her as she stumbled on the bumpy path back to the base.  
She was nearly there when she caught sight of him, standing on crutches outside the main entrance, his face turned to the sun.  
"Finn!" she screamed. "FINN!"  
He turned his head and looked at her, his eyes widening.  
"REY!"

She threw herself around him and he dropped his crutches to embrace her. He was not nearly as strong as before. They both fell to the ground in a heap, not letting each other go for a moment.  
They lay there, receiving a lot of laughter and quick comments from the resistance members nearby.  
"Don't ever do that again!" Rey murmured in his ear.  
"What?" Finn said. "Trying to save our hides?"  
Rey kissed his cheeks and kept hugging him hard.

She could feel how his hands were trembling, struggling to stay in place. She loosened her grip.  
"Am I hurting you?" she asked. "How are you?"  
"I'll be fine." he said, smiling. "The droids did a real number on my back and my shoulder. I'm mostly weak from lying on my back for too long."  
His smile was contagious. She beamed at him.

"We'll have you in shape in no time." She said. "Come on." She rose and grabbed his hand, helping him to his feet and handing him the crutches.  
Then she caught sight of Leia, standing among the others. She was watching them with as much joy and amusement as the rest. Rey's insides went cold.  
"I need to change clothes." She said to Finn. "I'll be right back outside. Wait for me here."

She rushed inside and did not stop until she was safely in her room.  
There she threw herself on the bed and struck her fists into the mattress repeatedly.  
Even in his absence he was ruining everything for her, alienating her from the people she loved the most.

If Leia could sense her thoughts about Kylo Ren before, how could she miss it now? Rey would have to block her mind from Leia at all times or even worse; avoid her.  
Then there was Luke. There was to be absolute honesty between a Padawan and her Master. But how could she possibly explain this to him? Would he sense what had happened? Could she block Luke from seeing her mind even if she tried?  
And Finn. Was she supposed to lie to Finn too?

As she willed herself to calm down, her mind wandered to Kylo Ren.  
Why had he left her in the forest? He could have done anything to her once she was unconscious. Gone through with his original plan or brought her back as a prisoner to prolong the torture. Maybe he could have had a go at turning her to the dark side.  
Where was he?

She clutched her hands to her stomach, hating the blazing urge as she thought of him. Could it not have been enough, what they had done?  
She had hoped that the gravity between them would seize once their bodies were apart, that she would no longer feel a need to turn him back to the light. Why did she even want to believe that was possible? People did not change. Jakku had taught her that.  
Still, he had changed dramatically once already.

She got up and undressed, needing a shower more than ever.  
As she passed the mirror, she had a start.  
It was not the stains of soil and grass on her skin or even the rich streams of dried blood and other fluids on her inner thighs. It was the dark violet stain on her neck that made her panic. It was as if he had marked her, making it impossible to erase what they had done.

Rey scrubbed her skin until it was glowing red before stepping out of the shower.  
The collars on the vests and jackets they had left for her were high enough to cover the bruise on her neck and as she stood fully dressed with her hair in the usual three knots at the back of her head, she relaxed a little.  
Rey was a resistance member and no matter what he did to her, she would never betray them. She was also an aspiring Jedi and from now on she would train harder than ever to exceed Luke's every expectation, beginning today.  
But for now, Finn waited.

 **xxx**

Kylo Ren marched at a quick pace trough the hangar where he had recently docked the small space shuttle. Around him a new base for The First Order was rising at an impressive speed, but he paid it no attention. Those who approached him with news or questions backed off before opening their mouths. Just as well. If he could make it to his private quarters without murdering anyone, it would be a feat.  
Never had he been more grateful for the helmet covering his face.

Once he entered his rooms, he took the helmet off and threw it into the wall with full force, watching as it crashed and fell to the floor with a sharp metallic clunk.  
He stood absolutely still and stared at it, quickly scanning the room for possibilities to do more damage.  
 _Focus your anger into the tip of a spear before you strike. Do not look back._  
Snoke had taught him that, seeing his struggle to use the dark powers without letting them boil over and affect his judgement. He was learning to contain his passions so very well, shaping them into strong missiles of pure dark force.

He had passed his final test expertly, disintegrating all remaining compassion and ended the battle between light and dark that had raged inside him for so long. It was with great pride that he could finish his training and gain the title Master.  
He was truly a Lord of Darkness now.  
That is, until _she_ turned up.

Kylo Ren had nearly forgotten all about her when she suddenly appeared in the forest on Takodana. The pull between them was there, as fresh as it had been when he left her to her fate on Jakku. He had been young and foolish then, not able to carry through with the task he had been handed. Darth Vader had not left even one youngling alive at the Jedi academy all those years ago. Did his grandfather ever have to wrestle with something like this?

How many times had he not considered going back to Jakku to finish the task? He had been deceiving himself for far too long, making up apt excuses about it. Then again, the planet itself should have finished her off a long time ago.  
She was certainly no longer a child. The harsh reality on Jakku had made her hide thick as first class armor and her senses as alert as any warriors. Also, the force was flowing strongly through her, in a way he could only compare to his own capacity.

Not only was she gifted and intelligent. On top of everything she had to be disturbingly attractive. The purity of the light radiating from her seemed to stay put no matter what she did. Even in her anger and deceit, it was pure.  
She had been brave enough to give in to this attraction between them, despite her inexperience. He alone was the one she had invited to this intimacy and the thought of taking that innocence away from her was absolutely consuming.  
Her face flickered by in his mind, the way it had looked when she lost herself in pleasure. Her cheeks red, her beguiling lips shivering slightly as her breath came in short gasps.

Ren ignited his lightsaber and slashed a chair in half before he could stop himself.  
He should have put an end to everything right there and then.  
She had received an offer from him that she should have been abundantly grateful for. He would have trained her himself, giving her a title, a name and a secure place among the Knights of Ren. In time she would have become a glorious Master of the Dark Arts. Instead, she had spat in his face.

He should have paid her back for that in the forest. For that and for humiliating him in front of his fellow commander and his superior, for resisting his powers and revealing one of his own weaknesses, for stealing his grandfather's lightsaber and for the scar.  
He had completely underestimated this connection between them and he had completely underestimated her. Despite all they had done, the desire for her was still eating away at him like a poison. For weeks he had wanted to kill her and now he did not know how to find that inspiration again no matter how hard he tried.  
But he had to find it. If he did not, she would ruin everything that he had fought so hard to gain.

The only other alternative was turning her to the dark side, a scenario that was unlikely to happen as long as his uncle and The Resistance were around to strengthen her resolve.  
But there were weaknesses that could be used.  
He knew that she would rather be dead than being as lonely as she had been on Jakku. If he could remove the others around her, then he could conveniently be there when she faced abandonment again. Also, her allies were her breaking point. She had willingly come running to him at the slightest threat indicated towards them.  
It was time to forge a plan that was immune to all unwanted circumstances.

Ren walked to the training area connected to his rooms and held the lightsaber as if to initiate a battle.  
He started to go through his technique, trying several forms of attack positions.  
Leaving her in the forest had been for purely practical reasons. The thought of having his next in commands near the expected mess of bringing her to the base was unappealing. She was already strong enough in the force to break free from captivity and he could not be there and watch over her all the time. She was simply not ready to join them and he was not ready to murder her for it yet.

That which had not been for practical reasons had been handing her three orgasms and then putting her belongings in a heap beside her, finishing by wrapping her own robe around her before he left.  
The base where she found safety had to be disintegrated along with its inhabitants. If anyone survived, he would simply trade their safety for her compliance.  
If she refused to turn to the dark side after that, he would destroy her as surely as she was destroying him.  
The girl would _not_ humiliate him again.

A tremor through the force made him freeze on the spot.  
Supreme Leader Snoke was calling for him.  
Ren picked his helmet up and put it on, leaving for the hologram chamber at once.  
 _He knows about the girl._  
Supreme Leader Snoke had been wrong about one thing. Han Solo had not been his greatest challenge to face.

 **xxx**

Rey and Finn were inseparable.  
From the first day of his recovery they had been together nearly every waking hour.  
They ate, trained and walked together, talking about everything and nothing.

Finn's presence soothed the open wound Kylo Ren had left in her. She had not yet mentioned him to Finn and she really hoped it would not be necessary.  
Whatever dark affairs that had taken place in the forest, it had left her dramatically more sensitive to the force. The enlightened state she had entered while having her orgasm with him was still present in some degree and she could use it to gain greater strength than she thought possible.

She lifted the generator with her mind as if it was nothing and could at times feel everything that was going on in every person's head at the base. She always blocked it off, feeling it was not a Jedi's business to pry on private matters. Luke had taught her that a Jedi only used the force for greater, unselfish reasons and only for self-defense.  
The one that was not so easy to block was Kylo Ren. Even though she felt no active attempts from him to contact her, she felt his mood during the day and especially at night.  
She dreaded the nights.

He was haunting her dreams like a dark phantom, leaving her brimming with shameful desires in the morning.  
Hours of training with the lightsaber were the only thing that could keep her focused enough not to feel the ever present gravity towards The Black Star. Even so, she sometimes connected with him when they were both training, accidently executing his moves instead of her own.  
It had to stop, one way or another.

A month had past when the memories came back.  
Rey was training basic defense positions with her mock lightsaber, with Finn as her fending partner. He was rid of the crutches now and had prepared his own sword-like object. They kept exchanging instructions, using each other's knowledge of fending. Finn was basically trained only for attack and it came in handy as her first task was to learn defense.  
Even so, she disarmed him repeatedly.

"You need to hold your defenses up better." She said sharply.  
"You need to stop hitting me so hard!" Finn replied, rubbing his right hand.  
"Sorry." She said, giving him a guilty smile.  
"Every time you strike, it is as if you imagine that dark force bitch coming on to you." He added.

Not something she wanted to think about, no. But Kylo Ren's features emerged before her anyway. In a quick flash she saw his face, though much younger than he was now.  
Wait for me here. I will come back for you.  
Her weapon fell to the ground with a clatter.  
"What's wrong?" Finn asked.  
He took her hand, but she ignored him and closed her eyes.

 _The rain was pouring down, whipping the terrace of the temple furiously._  
 _He was there and so were the other ones like him. Several red blades glowed like ugly scars in the dark. The temple guards lay lifeless at the doorway. Water and blood covered the ground._  
 _"There's one missing." One of them said._  
 _"I will take care of her."_  
 _His voice._  
 _She dodged away from the window and ran._  
 _His footsteps echoed further down the hallway and she had no idea where to go._  
 _Something terrible had happened; she felt it through the force._  
 _It did not take him long to find her. He dragged her out of the hiding place and threw her on the floor, raising his lightsaber and igniting it. It was angrily red._  
 _"Ben!" she shouted._  
 _Their eyes met and one or two heartbeats passed. Next thing she knew he jerked her up from the floor and dragged her outside through the back door, into the garden._  
 _"Hide here." He hissed. "And stay absolutely quiet. I will be back."_  
 _The rain had her soaking wet already and she shivered._  
 _"Where are the others?" she asked._  
 _"They are safe and you must be absolutely quiet. Do not go inside. Hide! Now!"_  
 _She did as told, creeping under stone stairs to a garden building. It was her favorite spot when they played hide and seek and Ben knew this. He would surely find her there when he returned. But she knew he was lying about one thing. The other children were no safer than the bleeding guards on the terrace outside._

When Rey opened her eyes again, she was on her knees at the floor. Finn was holding her and she was resting her head on his shoulder.  
"It was him." Rey whispered. She felt strangely numb. "It was him all along."  
"Who was what?" Finn asked. "What happened?"

She looked at Finn, feeling his deep and genuine concern for her and something else. Finn had a pure heart, no matter what he'd been raised to do. He was good right down to the bone and he would put her well-being before his own at all costs.  
"Finn." She whispered, putting her hand on his cheek.  
He looked intensely at her, searching her face for something.

"I really love you and I will love you always." She continued. "But you know what path I have chosen."  
He seemed to grasp for words and swallowed.  
"I do." He said, nodding a little too vigorously. "Yes, the thing with the Jedi. The Jedi thing. Right."  
"Could we just sit like this for a little while?"

He nodded again.  
"Sure. Absolutely. Yes."  
He adjusted his legs to sit more comfortably and she did the same. He held her a little tighter, more protective, and let out a deep breath. She closed her eyes.  
It would not be so bad sitting like this for a couple of days or even weeks, shutting everything out that she had just learned, only listening to Finn's breathing.

The sound of the high pitched alarm made them both jump.  
"Hostile aircraft incoming!" The speakers boomed out. "Assume battle positions!"  
They were both on their feet and out the door within seconds.  
"What exactly are the battle positions?!" Finn yelled. "Do I have any?"  
"Get to the cannons!" she yelled back. "I'll join the pilots!"

Rey separated from him and ran towards the hangar. Whatever evil was coming, she had not sensed it. Had she not been so caught up in her own troubles with Kylo Ren, she might have known. Any casualties now could be on her.  
As she arrived at the hangar and was assigned to an X-wing, trying to take in every instruction the captain shouted to her, she felt it.  
There were force users among the attackers.  
The cockpit closed and she put the helmet over her head and checked the gear, turning the radio communication link between the X-wings on.  
Then she concentrated hard and shot a message at Kylo Ren, wherever he was.  
 _You are not taking this away from me too._


	6. A Walk on the Dark Side

The X-wing roared upwards with practically no effort. Had it been a drill, it would have excited Rey greatly. For now, being a fighter pilot was the last thing that she wanted. She had to use all her discipline to will away the rising anxiety for Finn, Leia, Trosh and the others on the ground.  
Her mind quickly focused as the communication link came to life.

 _"Red Leader to all units. Turn north to incoming fire. Red two and three go left, red one and four, get above the enemy."_  
"Roger that." Rey said along with the others.  
As Red Four, she directed the fighter further up, blasting through the lower clouds and got the vehicle steady just in time to see a huge explosion on the ground.

 _"Red leader to all units. It's a bomb squadron! Force the enemy further up before firing. We do not want them shot down anywhere near the base!"_  
Rey stared wildly at the control board, seeing at least four TIE-bombers swoop down too close to the base.  
She closed her eyes and did exactly as she always had when acute survival was of the essence.  
The force had to be with her this time.

Rey allowed her X-wing to spin and turn, still not opening her eyes, and pulled the triggers.  
With an ear deafening sound, a TIE fighter right in front of her exploded. She danced away from it quickly, avoiding the debris and directed her own fighter without paying attention to neither screens nor gyro systems.

 _"Good shot, Red four!"_  
She opened her eyes and watched as another bomb hit the base.  
A TIE fighter exploded above her and the next moment an X-wing was hit and went up in flames.  
The sound was ringing in her ears and she clenched her teeth hard not to let fear or grief break her concentration.  
 _"Red two is down! I repeat: Red Two is down."_

She saw the cannons of The Resistance starting to fire, cleverly spread out and invisible beneath the tree crowns.  
Someone was tailing her and several shots flew by way too close. Simultaneously, she noted a TIE bomber heading for one of the cannon platforms. There was no time to take care of both obstacles. Finn could be down by the targeted cannon. She dived for the TIE bomber and shot.

The wing of the TIE bomber was ripped off and it spun wildly, heading for the ground.  
Next thing she knew, her X-wing was cringing in a blaze of white heat. The explosion was deafening. Her right wing was in flames and the steering sticks would no longer obey her.  
"Red Four to all units, I'm going down!" She shouted into the radio.  
She pushed the emergency button and braced herself as the cockpit flew open and the chair sent her flying freely through the air.  
The parachute was activated, but the relief of feeling it pull her upwards was replaced by panic, as she noticed how near the ground she was. She was heading towards the trees way too fast.

 _"Red Four? Come in, Red Four. Over."_  
The call was repeated a couple of times. It slowly dawned on Rey that she was not dreaming.  
There was this strange feeling of floating, but as she tried to move, she swung uncomfortably.

She opened her eyes and realized that she was hanging from a tree. The parachute was entangled in branches far above. Her body was throbbing with pain as she started to undo the straps around her waist and shoulders. Still holding on to the straps, she rocked until she reached a branch and started to climb down.  
It hurt worse than she had expected to move and it did not improve things that she had to jump the last ten feet before reaching the ground.

Rey answered the radio as soon as she was down, lying on her back with the helmet still on.  
"Red four to everyone. What's the current status of the battle, over?"  
 _"The enemy is gone, but the base is in a real bad shape. You need assistance, Rey? Over."_  
"No. I'll be there as soon as I can. Over."  
 _"We will need to evacuate. Activate the locator and you'll find us. Over."_  
Evacuate. Leave D'qar.  
"I'm on it. Over."  
 _"Roger that. Over and out."_

Rey scanned her body quickly for damage. She had pulled a few muscles quite badly and there were bruises and bleeding, but nothing broken as far as she could tell.  
She reached for the equipment kit in her belt and pulled out a small navigator device that also functioned as a locator. It let her know that she was about five miles away from the base.  
The wind carried the smells of smoke and burning fuel her way and she was fairly certain there had to be several fires spread over the area.  
How many survivors were there?

Through the force a wave of grief and anger hit her and she closed her mind before she could see the faces of those in pain. She could not afford to take that in now.  
Instead, she searched for Finn.  
The visions coming in were confusing. He was alive. Hurt, but mostly angry. She caught glimpses of black creatures, hiding behind hoods and masks. Force users.  
She was pushed back from the vision so hard, she dropped to her knees.

"No." she whispered. "Oh no, no, no."  
Rey got to her feet and activated her communication device again, pressing the button with shaking fingers.  
"Rey to base! Come in."  
When there was no immediate response, she pressed the button again.  
"Rey to…"  
She was not alone.

Turning around slowly, she stared back at a squadron of First Order Stormtroopers, all directing their blasters towards her. One of them, wearing chrome-colored armor, stepped forward.  
"I have a message for you." The commander said. "You are to surrender willingly and come with us. Any attempts to resist will have serious consequences for your allies. We have taken…"  
"…Finn." Rey finished. She swallowed and clenched her teeth. "I know."  
"Put your hands on the back of your head." The commander said.  
Rey did as told, trying to control her trembling. She felt no fear. It was all being eaten by mind numbing rage.

"I want to see Finn." Rey said.  
"It is not for you to decide. Step forward."  
She walked towards them. As soon as she was a few steps away from the commander, several Stormtroopers pushed her down to her knees, pressing her wrists down behind her back and locked them together with a thick metal cuff. They searched her for any weapons before lifting her to her feet.

"Walk." One of them said, giving her a harsh push.  
Rey had an instinct to lash her mind out to hurt the one who had pushed her. She stopped at the last moment, shocked by her own dark thoughts. Instead, she bit her lip so hard it bled.  
Better to save it. She knew exactly who was behind this.

 **xxx**

Ren could feel her presence the moment the shuttle docked. She made no effort at all to hide the great offence she had taken by his plan. Her anger radiated through the force, red and lethal like his lightsaber.  
As soon as there had been news of her arrival, he had retreated to his rooms to meditate by the remains of Darth Vader's helmet, determined to tap into the dark flow of the force and stay with it. She could not be allowed to get him out of balance this time. All unwanted ties to her had to be severed in this confrontation. He needed to be able to think clearly again.

Supreme Leader Snoke's reaction to his way of handling the situation with her had not been pleasant.  
 _Turn her into one of us. If she refuses, kill her._  
The orders were simple.

As he sensed the guards entering a corridor nearby, he stood up and walked into the reception room. The helmet lay at a side table close to the door and he put it on. Then he opened a small cabin in the wall and brought out a lightsaber, once belonging to a fallen Knight of the Ren Order. He fastened it to his belt beside his own weapon. Awaiting her arrival, he took position at an armed glass wall and fixed his gaze at the glacier outside.  
There was a low buzz by the door.  
"Enter."

She strode in, flanked by two soldiers, arms tied behind her back and eyes fixed on him.  
Her anger was beyond all expectations. Despite her silence and treacherous calm it filled the room and made the soldiers at her side visibly nervous.  
"Leave us." He ordered.  
Within seconds they were alone.

When she made no attempt to speak or move, he eyed her thoroughly. She was wearing a torn rebel flight suit, spattered with soot, oil stains and dried blood. Her face had taken several bad turns, shifting in violet and black at her cheek and chin. He could sense she was hurt in other places, but her straight back and lifted chin revealed nothing of this.  
The cursed urge for her rose and he pushed it back.

"Surely you know why you are here?" he said.  
"Enlighten me." She said in a low, distant voice.  
"You are here to be trained in the Dark Arts under my command. If you follow orders, certain rebels will be spared."  
"You mean Finn." She said.

He stepped closer to her, leaning in.  
"You are so angry. Good. It will give you great power if you only acknowledge it."  
"You attack our base and kidnap my friend and now you expect me to cooperate?"  
"This was retaliation, not an unprovoked attack. This is but a small incident, compared to what happened to the thousands of lives that were lost in the destruction of Starkiller Base."

She narrowed her eyes.  
"And compared to the population of the planets you destroyed?"  
He was silent for a second.  
"They were military targets." He said.  
"So was Starkiller Base."  
"So was the Rebel Base."  
"This base seems like a good military target." She said.  
"If you direct enemy fighters this way, you will be destroyed as well."  
"Then," she replied, "We'll burn together."  
"You better find a will to cooperate. After all, your friend's life depends on it."

She did not answer and he noticed a flicker of vulnerability in her.  
"You will do as I say at all times and bend to all my wishes." He said in a formal voice, normally reserved for the foot soldiers. "I will use you in any way I see fit."  
Rey raised an eyebrow and glared at him.  
"If only your mother could see you now!"

His temper flared up unexpectedly and he slapped her so hard on the cheek that she staggered from it.  
"Do not presume I will tolerate such insolence." He scolded her, holding a warning finger close to her face.  
She straightened up and stood as cold and unmoved as the glacier outside. Her cheek was turning red fast.  
"Bring me to my cell." She said. "I would like to be alone now."

He stared at her darkly.  
"You do not have a cell." He replied. "You will remain in these rooms under my constant surveillance. And you do _not_ choose whether or not to be left alone."  
She clenched her teeth together furiously and her breathing became uneven.  
"You would like to fight me now, would you not?" he said. "Strike me down with all that anger you are withholding?"  
Kylo Ren took a few steps away from her and with a wave of his hand he opened her cuff and let it fall to the floor.  
Her mouth opened slightly and she frowned.

"Then do it." He said, taking the spare lightsaber out from his belt.  
He held it out to her. Rey stared at it and then at him.  
"What is the matter, Rey?" he said. "Are you incapable of hurting me, even for what I've done to Finn? Then perhaps I should increase his torture."

The lightsaber flew out of his hand and landed in hers. She ignited it at the moment she struck. He drew and activated his own lightsaber with practiced speed, letting it crash into her blade.  
She attacked again and he blocked her, pushing her back. He could see how she struggled against the pain to pick up speed and dexterity. She was still sore from the crash.  
"You are not even trying!" Ren reproached her.  
He attacked her with a series of quick blows and finished by kicking the lightsaber out of her hand. A sharp sting was felt as she made a sound of pain. He ignored it.  
"Pick it up!"

She willed the lightsaber to her hand, ignited it and moved into battle position. All this was done in cold fury and he sensed how the rush of it stifled her pain.  
Not long now.  
He assaulted her again and drove her backwards, despite her impressive attempts to fend him off. A hard push with his foot made Rey hit the wall so hard she dropped her guard. He moved in mercilessly and gripped her wrist holding the weapon, twisting it enough to cause a cracking noise. She screamed. The lightsaber fell out of her hand.  
A very unpleasant chill ran through him, but he did not let go.  
"If you are not going to do this properly", he said, "I might as well send you down to an isolation cell for a year or two. You'd feel right at home there, in the solitude."

The excruciating pain in his head did not come gradually. She shot it out, quicker than a blaster could fire. Several mental explosions from her followed, forcing him to let go and stumble back. She lifted a trembling hand towards him, teeth gritted and eyes burning.  
The plan was working a little too well.

"Enough!" he hissed.  
But she was invading him, tearing at his defenses with unexpected force. Suddenly a barrier had been broken and Kylo Ren instantly knew she had wrung something from him that she was not allowed to see. He had to gather all his strength to hold her back, but then she did something unexpected. Not only did her mind open up to him; she launched it as a missile, sending a shock of anger, sadness and frustration his way. He only had time to block part of it.  
The rest dug into his core and blasted his mind in all directions.

All identity was lost.  
For a wild and horrible moment, the dead had risen.  
His old self who had been long gone was thinking for him, trying to pull his hand down as he was about to send pain her way.  
Don't do it. You did not want to hurt her to begin with.  
Then the pressure in his head seized. Dark spots floated in his field of vision, but he willed them away. He pushed the helmet off and took a few deep breaths.

Rey was on her knees, sickly pale and holding her wounded wrist. Her head was tipping to the side. She was about to pass out.  
His hand was under her head before it touched the floor.  
"You need medical attention." He heard himself say.  
Wrong. All wrong.  
This was the moment when he was supposed to leave her on the floor with a broken wrist, giving her attention only when she begged for it.  
Or worse.

Knowing she was too spent to stop him, he carefully lifted her off the floor and carried her to the bedroom.  
The world was still spinning from her attack. He needed to regain his resolve before another grave error was made. Now that she had become aware of the enormous power of the dark side, she needed to know who was in charge.  
He put her down on the bed, climbed on top of her and started to take his belt off.

His hands were shaking and it became difficult to breathe.  
The cheek on which he had hit her was swollen. He had dealt her horrifying blows in all possible ways and if he did not finish with this last one he would have failed Supreme Leader Snoke. This would be the proof that she was nothing to him but an instrument to use for his own gain.  
 _But this is not what you want._

Kylo Ren snapped the belt shut and sat absolutely still, looking at her.  
Then he got off the bed and punched into the dark metal wall so hard, it felt like his own wrist had been broken.  
A few seconds later he was by the intercom link, sending a signal to get the guards' attention.  
"Send a medical droid inside with full equipment." He ordered, trying to sound as casual as possible.  
Then he got back to the bed, took his gloves off and laid his hand against her cheek.

When the droid entered and started to work with her wounds, he was still in the same position.  
It did not really matter what the medical droids saw, for they were programmed only to do their job and talk about nothing else.  
As her wrist was set right and the bones wrought together, she stirred and opened her eyes slightly. Her gaze fell on him, drowsy and glazed.  
"I wish you were dead." She whispered.  
He nodded in confirmation.  
"I wish you dead as well." He whispered back.


	7. The Deal

**There will be graphic sexual content in this chapter and the consent could be interpreted as doubtful, even if it's there. If you are still with the story this far, you probably don't mind. But I wanted you to know. Hope you enjoy this one!  
May the force be with you. Always.**

* * *

His touch brought her to consciousness.  
Rey did not need to open her eyes to know it was him stroking her cheek.  
She really wished he would stop. It was not supposed to feel comforting when he was the sole source of all her misery.  
But she was too weak to even open her eyes. She fell in and out of sleep, heavy from the analgesic. And from her blatant abuse of the force.

He was not aware of her being awake.  
His lips touched her forehead and left a tingling mark there. Then his weight was gone from the bed.  
She wanted him back and she wanted him dead.

Sleep came over her again and she dreamt about Finn and the base, about her new family there. She saw Luke Skywalker, on his way back in the Millennium Falcon. He knew something had happened. Then she saw them, the survivors from the bombing. So much despair.  
Rey woke up in tears, sobbing into the charcoal grey pillow for a long time.

She had failed everyone, but most of all herself. Luke had been gone only for hours when she broke her first vow as a Padawan. Then she had kept it from everyone, even Finn, running from what had happened until it caught up with her through the cruel destruction of the base and Finn's kidnapping. On top of everything, it had taken her enemy minutes to bring out the worst in her. She was irrevocably unclean.  
If she had only been as strong as Leia, with her military toughness and unwavering ideals, none of this would have happened.

There was a low whisper through the force, a comforting presence touching her.  
 _Leia._  
The exchange was wordless, but it was enough.  
Leia was still alive and Rey knew that she had to be strong, as strong as Leia who had to wake up every morning knowing that she had dedicated her life to fight against her only son.

She opened her eyes and scanned the surroundings. Rey knew she was somewhere on the planet Hoth. That much she had picked up from the guards.  
The room was dark and sterile, as devoid of life as the ice clinging to the horizontal narrow window. There was a stool with a neatly folded heap of clothes in the corner. Other than that, there was only the square bed and a small table beside it, attached to the wall…with a big cup of water on top.

Dizzily, she grabbed the cup and gulped everything down before falling back to the pillow with a content sigh. Her stomach was making a lot of fuzz, urging her to find food. She might as well. There was no use laying around, waiting for him to return and take her for another horrible spin. If she had survived his attempts to make her life miserable for so long, she could not give up now.  
The clothes on the stool were obviously for her. She noted he had removed her flight suit, but allowed her to keep the battered clothes underneath. At least he had allowed her some dignity while she was out cold.

The new garments were all darkly colored army wear: a long sleeved shirt with a tunic and a belt, a pair of trousers and warm socks complete with practical combat boots. She dressed with some difficulty, still not entirely clear in the head. Her right wrist stung with every movement. He was going to pay for that.  
As soon as she was done, she headed for the door.  
It was time for round two.

He was standing in the reception room, studying a three dimensional drawing at a computer screen when she came in. She felt his mood shift significantly as she entered, but he paid her no visible attention.  
Rey stopped for a moment to look at him before walking to an armchair that seemed as hard and uncomfortable as the rest of the room. She sank down in it, gazing at him thoughtfully.  
"I should thank you." She said.

He turned around, his eyes revealing a slight crack in his feigned disregard for her. He was so much easier to read since last night, when she had roamed the forbidden passages in his mind.  
"So now you see it." He said. "The boundless potential of the dark side."  
"Yes."  
"It came so natural to you."  
He looked at her with a mix of awe and- tenderness?

"You can access all this power instantly, only by letting your emotions out. It will not take long for you to shape and perfect it, drawing your energy from a greater source. Then you will not fall victim for exhaustion."  
She nodded.  
"Yes. I am very grateful." She said. "For now I know the tragedy of the Dark Path and I will never again set foot on it."  
His expression changed into a frown. Silence hung between them for seconds.

"You have only begun to explore your potential." He said. "The power you experienced is but a drop in the ocean compared to what I have to show you."  
"You need to show me nothing. From now on, we will do things my way."  
His lips turned into a thin line.  
"You are my prisoner. _Nothing_ will be done your way."  
She shrugged and sized him up coldly.  
"We'll see." She said.  
"We certainly will not!"

When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more seductive.  
"After all you have been through, being a victim to everyone else's design, you would deny yourself this?"  
"After all _you_ put me through. Yes. I know it was you, hiding me away as a child."  
He was about to speak, but she shook her head.

"You have no idea what it was like." She said. "Hanging on to life by a lie. Sometimes without food for days, thinking that at any moment my family would come for me. But they were murdered before I even got to Jakku."  
"You were never at any risk! That junk dealer scum was well paid to keep you alive!"  
She gasped and rose from the chair.  
"Keep me alive? For what?"

His eyes burned.  
"I have wondered about that a lot." He replied, walking closer until he stood towering over her. "But now that you are here…"  
He took hold of her chin and moved his mouth close to hers.  
"…I can think of a lot of reasons."  
Rey's pulse quickened without her consent and the room felt strangely warm. Something was different. She had expected him to explode by now, hurting her or taking it out on the interior of the room. The pull towards him felt stronger and brought with it the memories her body had of their last meeting. She still sensed an overwhelming conflict in him, but it was nothing compared to her own conflict now.

He leaned in to kiss her and she turned away with all the strength she had, facing the huge window.  
 _Think about the cold outside._  
"The Jedi Academy was my family." She said. "You understand that, don't you? And when I met The Resistance- your parents- I had a family again. And now you have taken me away from them too."

Despite his sudden anger, he stood still, glaring at her in a way she could not interpret.  
"They are not your family!"  
"But they are _yours_!" she shouted. "And you took them for granted! I never even knew that luxury. And you threw it away! For what?"  
"That's enough, Rey!"  
"So that you could live in this cold place and fill your life with hate and death? I don't get it!"  
"Of course you do not!" he shouted back. "You refuse to listen!"

She shut her eyes tight, feeling a tear trail down her cheek before looking at him again.  
"What happened to you?" She whispered.  
"You need to eat." He said. "Food will be delivered shortly."  
"You have to let Finn go."  
He looked stunned.  
"Absolutely not!"

Rey dried the tears on her sleeve and gave him a short nod.  
"I am not hungry." She said. Then she strode past him, heading back to the bedroom.  
"You better come back here." He warned her.  
She did not turn her head until she had reached the bedroom door. Pressing the button to open it, she glared back at him defiantly.  
"I guess you will have to find someone else to order around. I'm _unavailable._ "

She pressed the door shut and sat down on the bed, leaning against the wall and waiting for his reaction.  
She heard a crashing noise, knowing he had broken something.  
To her surprise it took at least ten minutes before he entered the room. When he did, he was holding a tray of food as if he was going to murder her with it. He put it down on the bed recklessly and pointed at it.  
"When I come back, you will have eaten all of it." He ordered.  
Then he made a quick, dramatic exit.

Her mouth fell open.  
She tried not to look at the tray, but the smell of the food was irresistible. It was a hot stew with meat, fresh fruit on the side and juice. And real bread. Rey's stomach took over, making her attack the tray greedily and indulge in its contents. After all, she had made him serve it to her on the bed.

She lay down on her back after the delicious meal, determined to get back into balance. The food helped considerably, but she needed to reconnect with that side of the force where she belonged. He had given her a harsh lesson last night and she did not want it to go to waste.  
She knew who had Finn. There was a band of dark force users who called themselves The Knights of Ren, under the leadership of Kylo Ren. His mind had given her the information as she attacked him.  
The problem was that there was no information about where Finn was. Did Kylo Ren even know? It seemed a clever thing to leave it to his underlings to hide Finn. That way she would never be able to steal the information from him.

There had been other revelations inside him as well, something she was all too well familiar with. Something she had been fighting against since the day she became aware of his existence.  
She turned to the force, surprised and relieved to still feel its light in every particle of her.  
Even in this dark place, despite what she had done, it was everywhere.

She was tired of fighting the merciless pull to The Black Star.  
If the force was directing her to him, should she just let go and follow its lead?  
There was no way she could follow his path.  
Then again, he had Finn. And she knew it was more than a practicality that Kylo Ren had imprisoned him.  
But just how much was she ready to sacrifice for Finn?

He was no longer in the reception room as she entered it.  
Rey scuffed one of the armchairs to the huge window and sat down, gazing at the magnificent view.  
She meditated for a while. No time seemed to have past when the door buzzed open and Kylo Ren walked in. He was not alone.  
A red haired male officer was at his side and they seemed to be in the middle of an argument.

"…and I am saying that we are wasting valuable resources!" The red haired one said, before he stopped at the doorway, staring at her.  
She looked back calmly, making no effort to move from the chair. Inside she was a little ruffled. She had almost forgotten that there were others outside that door.  
It was clear that the bruises on her face were unsettling to the officer. He did not know when or in what state she had arrived to the base and he gave Kylo Ren a quick, nervous glance.

"Is she…supposed to roam the base freely?" The officer said with a hint of discontent.  
"Pay the girl no attention, general Hux." Kylo Ren said through the mask. "She is under my absolute control."  
General Hux nodded, not knowing what to believe. Rey picked up that he had little knowledge of the force or what it could do. He also wondered what she looked like under the clothes and if Kylo Ren knew.  
She sighed and rolled her eyes, looking away.  
"I expect an answer by tomorrow morning then." General Hux said.  
Kylo Ren made a gesture of dismissal and walked into the room, letting the door slide shut before General Hux could say anything else.

As soon as they were alone, she rose from the chair and folded her arms.  
"So now you are making yourself comfortable?" He said.  
"Would you please remove the helmet?" She said gently.  
"Why?"  
"It will be easier to give in to what you want that way."

He froze for a moment before removing the helmet. That same intense gaze that she had been counting on was there.  
"I will offer you a deal " She continued. "If you let Finn go, I will stay with you and do whatever you say."  
He scanned her carefully.  
"You are hardly in a position to negotiate." He said.  
"Still. It is an offer."

He frowned.  
"What is it about this FN-2187 that is so spectacularly important?"  
She walked closer to him, placing a hand carefully at his arm.  
"There is no need to be jealous about Finn." She said.  
The frown turned into a scowl.  
"You are way out of line!" he hissed under his breath.  
"Please." She said. "Let him go. I'll do anything."

Rey tried to stress what she had said by being seductive, but had no idea what to do. It ended up with hot cheeks and an awkward pat on his arm.  
He put the helmet down and grabbed both her arms.  
"You need to do everything I say regardless." he said.  
She nodded and swallowed.  
"But Finn is my best friend. I can't cooperate that willingly if I know that you are hurting him."  
"And I cannot keep you alive unless you cooperate."  
"Did your master tell you that?"

He did not answer. Instead, the grip around her arms tightened.  
"If I break my promise, I will know that you can hunt Finn down at any moment." She said. "And the rest of my friends." She added.  
He shook his head at her.  
"Your argumentation is weak." He said. "You are blinded by your feelings for them."  
Rey took a deep breath.  
"I am blinded by what I feel for you too." She said, staring down at her feet as soon as she had said it. It was meant to be a lie. Why could she not look at him?  
"Is that right?" he said.

He thought she was mocking him and she had to look up to make sure he understood. Their eyes met and a strange silence settled.  
There was something oddly familiar about this moment, something hidden just out of sight.  
"If you do exactly as I say for three weeks," He said, "I will consider if it is worthwhile to make an agreement with you."  
"I need more than a consideration. I need a promise."  
"And then you will be an outstanding example of obedience and hard work? Beyond these three weeks?"  
She nodded.  
"You have my word." She said.  
She wanted to add "as a Jedi" but felt it did not quite bear up.

"How can I know you will not run off to your Jedi Master the first chance you get?"  
"You can't. But then, I cannot believe anything you say. It will have to be a question of trust."  
He gazed at her so intensely it became unbearable.  
"So what if I play your little game?" he asked. "Will you give me a demonstration of what to expect?"  
"Anything."  
"Show me then," he said, "what you claim to "feel" for me."

Heart pounding and face burning, she opened her mind to him and tried to do something that would fit the situation. What did he expect from her?  
She put a trembling hand on his heart and rose on her toes to kiss him. It was so good touching his lips. Way too good. She wanted to put an arm around him but felt too embarrassed. Instead her fingers landed on his hand. On a whim she brought it to her mouth and gave it several gentle kisses.

He took hold of her head suddenly and crushed his mouth to hers, pushing her closer with a hand that had conveniently sneaked up behind her waist. Her mind went blank as he lifted her and shoved her back against the wall. She moaned involuntarily into his mouth and wound both legs around his back.  
He pinned both her hands to the wall and she realized he had done it without touching her. This was not supposed to feel pleasant and yet she was already wet and ready for him. Feeling his hands work as he harshly stripped her of all clothes drove her crazy.

When she was finally naked, he pressed close to her again, letting her know that he was ready too. His fingers moved down, slowly working their way into her.  
"Yes…please…" she gasped, throwing her head back against the wall.  
Something was wickedly exciting about feeling him fully dressed against her, leaving her open and vulnerable to his ministrations. It fueled a hunger that was already overdue and made her roll her hips towards him as he finally removed his fingers and entered her.

She made a loud noise between the gasps, not certain if it was of pain or pleasure. There was no way to separate those feelings as he moved inside her, holding her chin so that she would not avert her face. The crude cloth of his tunic teased the small knot between her legs until the stimulation became unbearable.  
"Can't…hold back…" she panted.  
Seeing his gaze pushed her over the edge.  
She felt him let go at that same moment and all barriers between them broke down.  
In the throes of ecstasy, it was impossible to know his pleasure from hers. It exploded out in her entire body, fiery and toxic, pushing her near that cosmic state of mind again before pulling her down into a black abyss.

She felt his breath on her neck first. The pull towards the wall seemed very strong and then she discovered that they were on the floor. He was over her, still between her legs. How did they even get to the floor?  
Her wrists were free and she nestled a hand into his hair and put her arm around his neck. They were both trying to catch their breath. Then he lifted his head to look at her.  
"Three weeks. Then you stay here, permanently." He whispered.  
She nodded, still shaken and short of breath.  
"Then you release him." She said.  
"If you fulfill your part of the deal."  
"I will."  
He stroked her cheek and pulled some strands of hair away from her face.

"Do not think for a second that I cannot feel your repulsion towards the dark side." He said. "You better pay attention to my lessons this time."  
He lifted her to her feet and wrapped his cloak around her as she stood on trembling legs, leaning against him.  
"You need to get clean." He continued. "You still have stains of fuel and soil on your skin from the crash. I'll accompany you and make sure it is thoroughly done."


	8. Forbidden

**Mandatory shower scene and graphic content coming up in this one! Again, dodgy consent and chapter told mostly from Kylo Ren's perspective.**  
 **Take it as a warning or as a promise. ;-)**  
 **Love and hugs!**

* * *

"Take the robe off." He said.

To his immense pleasure a blush spread on her face and she lowered her gaze.  
Ren had led her into the cleaning facilities, consisting of a square room with dark walls, a sink and an open space by the far corner where the shower was.

This deal of hers was never going to be kept by either one of them. She would want to stay around to train for him as much as he would ever let FN-2187 go. But since she had agreed on following his every command for three weeks, he did not intend on wasting a moment of it. After that he was counting on a new and stronger strategy to make her stay. If she tried to leave anyway, he would hunt her to the outer rims of the galaxy.

He kept his eyes fixed on Rey as her slender body slowly unfolded from the robe. The intoxicating curves of her shoulders, her hips and her small breasts became visible once more. It was unbelievable that she had been a virgin for so long.  
Finally bare, she held the robe close, covering her intimate parts.  
"Drop it."  
She did as told, glaring at him while folding her arms.

He started to undress with military efficiency, keeping his eyes nailed on her.  
She was so powerful and still so deceptively small.  
The conflict between lust and duty was as profound in her as it was in him. There was this change in her breathing and a whisper of vulnerability in her eyes that gave it away.  
Ren let the last garment fall to the floor and walked up to her, noting how she tried to keep her cool as her eyes nervously wandered from one place to another. The touch of his hand on her chin was all it took to draw a shaking sigh from her. Their skin contact was no easier on him.

"Turn around." He said, guiding her to the shower space with both hands on her shoulders.  
She followed his lead, red down to her neck as he turned the water on and placed her under its rich, sprinkling streams.  
Her skin prickled with pleasure under his fingers and prickled further as he started to untie the three tails in her hair. He worked the entangled strands carefully, only pulling her hair every now and then to hear her gasp. But she stood there obediently and allowed him to do it. It was darkly satisfying to know that she could fight him off in all possible ways but restrained herself from doing it.

Once her hair was drenched by the hot water and clung to her shoulders in wavy stripes, he put an arm around her neck in a light choke hold and pressed close to her, paying attention to her breathing. He sensed a fragment of fear, but it quickly gave way to a consuming lust as he slid his hand down her wet stomach and touched her oversensitive sex. She was not emptied of orgasms yet and he would really like to see how far he could take this before both of them were spent.

He pulled her down to the floor with him, seating them in the same position as they had stood. He leaned against the wall, holding his arm just tight enough around her neck to make sure she would not be able to squirm out of his grip. Rey's hands flew up to his arm, hanging on it, but she did not really try to get free.  
His hand teased her nipples and squeezed her breasts with the pressure he received the best reaction to. She started to make those little noises that had a very violent effect on his desire. He moved his hand back down and slid two fingers inside of her, as he hardened against her buttocks.

She was still very wet.  
Her nether mouth clenched around his fingers, reminding him how pleasantly tight she was. In a moment he would give himself that treat. For now, he pressed his palm steady between her legs while moving his fingers in and out of her, hearing her breathing speed up and her gasps become louder. Her hips rose from his lap, eager to cooperate with his hand. She was close already. Her rapture seemed to vibrate against his palm.  
"Should I stop?" he whispered in her ear.  
"No…!" she sobbed, desperately pushing her hips down on his fingers.  
"If you give in to it, I will do whatever I please with you afterwards."  
She let out a long whimper of desperation.  
"Come for me, Rey."

He knew it was too late for her to stop the waves of the orgasm from crashing in. She tossed and turned in his lap, her wet spasms pulsating repeatedly until she trembled so hard it was obvious that the climax was becoming painful for her. He did not stop working her until several seconds after, determined that she would not be let off without reaching the unbearable.  
When her hips came down and she turned limp in his arms, he loosened the hold around her, kissing and biting her neck.

"You couldn't stop yourself, could you?" he breathed against her throat.  
She tried to turn around, nestling her head in under his chin, but he sank his fingers into the delicate flesh of her upper arms and lifted her off his lap.  
"On your hands and knees." He said.  
The embarrassment radiated from her, but she did as told, anxiously looking over her shoulder as he moved up behind her.

She let out a gasp when his hard limb pressed against her opening, fueling his arousal. This would probably hurt her a little, but then again, she was more than capable of letting him know when it was enough. He gripped her hips and pushed into her. She moaned and whimpered loudly, going down on her elbows for support while he started to move inside her.  
She was insanely addictive, contracting tightly around him, dripping from the hot water pouring over her and shifting her hands and knees in the shallow sea on the floor, trying to adjust to let him have his way.  
This was going to be over quicker than he had planned.

He put his weight over her, forced her flat down on her stomach and thrust harder. His arm hugged her waist tightly, keeping her from moving too much.  
His hand found hers and their fingers intertwined.  
Biting her shoulder he came inside her. The sounds she made prolonged the strong, intoxicating ecstasy. It seemed he would never get empty enough.  
Completely drained, he finally relaxed against her.

He sensed it then, how vast and burning her need was for belonging. All those years of loneliness had built a nearly insatiable thirst for confirmation and intimacy with others, so much that the slightest gesture of genuine tenderness could make her crawl on her hands and knees for another scrap of it. All this was carefully restrained and hidden behind a hard wall, ensuring survival in environments that was not fit for any kind of living. She had burned herself too many times on people she had wanted to trust and still she had this weakness, believing that everyone deserved a chance. Even him.

Below him, she was gasping. He was way too heavy and still she would not lift a finger to make him move.  
A forbidden thing stirred in him, something leaking out of the cracks she had caused when attacking his well armored core with her anger.  
He moved out of her carefully and sat up, leaning against the wall.  
She rolled over slowly, pushing herself up to sit. She was entrancingly beautiful, her hair coming down in wet strands and her lustrous dark eyes only on him.

He noted a tiny shade of blood in the water under her. She was still too inexperienced to fully handle what he had subjected her to.  
The wise thing to do right now would be leaving her there and retreat to the meditation room, contemplating his next action in front of Darth Vader's helmet.  
"Come here." He said.  
His convictions were waning with every inch she closed in. Had the force sent her to undo him? She laid open to him with her weaknesses, ready to be exploited, corrupted and turned.  
He knew what he had to do.

She was so vulnerable when she hesitated in front of him, yet so filled with unwavering determination to handle whatever he was going to put her through next.  
He held his hand out to her and she took it and allowed him to draw her in. He held her close with one hand on her head and the other stroking her back, hearing her sigh contently. She leaned her head on his shoulder and put a hand on his chest.  
He knew she was listening to his heartbeats.

Everything had gone wrong when he blinked and called for the medical droid to heal her.  
What was the nature of this connection to her? Did Supreme Leader Snoke know the extent of it? His old master, Luke Skywalker, had not figured it out. Or if he did, he had never cared to share it.  
Ren remembered sitting in the garden outside the Jedi Academy with the little girl next to him. He was showing her how a lightsaber was built, mimicking the process with rocks and pins, while secretly listening to Luke's conversation with the girl's parents inside the building.

"He really looks after her." Luke had said. "They have a connection that is very rare, as if the force is pulling them together."  
Her parents were happy to hear this, they said, that their daughter had friends at The Academy. They had asked Luke what such a connection meant and he had sensed that Luke was not entirely sure.  
"We are all connected through the force." He had answered them. "Every living thing to every other. But sometimes force sensitive beings can feel their future fate with another being very strongly. Their fates are intertwined, but how I cannot say."  
Ren had never had a peaceful nature, but the closest he ever came was, at times, around her. Already as a child, she drew all kinds of emotions out of him, but it was always his weakness for her that kept him focused. Rey was a baby sister to him then, someone with whom he shared a quiet bond that was unshakable. She had seen him and accepted him unconditionally.  
Did she remember any of this?

It held no importance now. Ben was long gone.  
The question was what he, Kylo Ren, was going to do with her.  
In two weeks' time Supreme Leader Snoke had set a meeting with him, expecting him to bring Rey along in an altered and cooperative condition.  
Could he excuse his behavior at this moment with anything leading to the fulfillment of his master's orders?  
Yes. I am giving her what she wants the most, ensuring cooperation.

Her breathing against his skin slowed down. She moved her fingers to caress his neck, his jaw and his chin.  
There it was again. The Forbidden. The thing he had struck down his own father to escape.  
She leaned up and placed soft kisses on his cheek and his lips, each one vibrating with affection and tenderness. He kissed her back without intending to. It was like a force of nature, beyond his or anyone's control.  
"Ben." She whispered.  
He had a start and grabbed her hair instantly, forcing her head back.  
"Don't ever call me that again!"

It was time to get out of the bathroom before she had him completely ensnared.  
He flew to his feet and wrapped one of the black towels around his hips.  
"Get dressed and wait for my instructions." He said. "Do not follow me!"  
Without looking at her, he burst out of the bathroom and into the sacred space where his grandfather's relic was. He almost threw himself at the chair in front of it, concentrating with all his strength.  
"I need your wisdom now." He said, closing his eyes. "I need your resolve."

As soon as the vision of Darth Vader was coming into focus, it seemed to mutate and change form into her, dripping wet on the bathroom floor, giving him that intimate gaze.  
Ren rose, smashing a glass lantern with his fist.  
He froze and looked at it in horror.  
Never before had he desecrated this room in any way.

He ran out and came to a halt as he met her outside the door, her beautiful face darkened into an angry frown. She was swept in a huge black towel, fastened around her chest, and he could tell her wall was rising towards him again.  
"I told you not to follow me." He hissed and kicked a stool beside the door down to stress his words.  
"Here. Let me help you." She said.  
She lifted the stool and threw it across the room. It flew in an arch before crashing into his computer screen.  
"Stop it!" he roared, reaching out to grab her.

She dodged him smoothly with reflexes better than his, and ran to the table where he ate all meals. He went after her and she overturned the table in front of his feet, making him fall over it with considerable ruckus. He was on his feet fast, trained for a lot worse than this.  
In the blink of an eye he had his hand up, knocking her down with the force.  
She let out a surprised and angry cry.  
"Are you afraid to fight me head on?" She shouted at him, scrambling to her feet. "Come on!"  
She held her fists up like a professional fighter.

He was not overly excited to fight her in near combat. She was faster than him and overly skilled in using her light weight against larger opponents.  
"Put your guard down and come here!" he ordered.  
"What if I don't?"  
"Then you will break our agreement."  
Rey lowered her hands, straightened her back and gave him a reproaching glare.  
"I said, come here." He repeated, pointing down at the floor in front of him.  
She walked up to him without breaking eye contact.

"You will never use that name again." He said. "It has no meaning to me."  
"Then why did you run off?"  
"The two things are not related and it is none of your concern."  
"Not related?"  
She huffed and raised an eyebrow.  
"You will respect all property on this base and never again damage it." He continued, trying and failing to keep his voice formal.  
Her jaw dropped.

"Are _you_ telling _me_ to respect property?"  
Ren took her arm, feeling a nice tingle as he touched the wet skin.  
"The discussion is over." He said.  
"It's not!" she protested, jerking her arm free.

He sensed how hurt she felt. It was puzzling for a moment and then the connection was made. This was exactly the weakness he needed to take advantage of.  
Gripping both her arms this time, he pulled her close even though she tried to stay put. Laying his arms around her, he placed a kiss on her brow. She stood rigid and tensed, fighting with herself.

"Is this what you want, Rey?" He murmured, stroking the nape of her neck gently, kissing her eyelids and her cheeks.  
She did not answer. A tear hung from her eyelashes and she bit her lip hard. All emotions in her were at war with one another.  
"Because it is certainly not a nuisance to give it to you." He continued, kissing her lips.  
"Don't." she whispered, the tear trailing down her cheek.  
"But you deserve this, don't you?" he said. "After being alone for so long."  
"You…I hate you…"  
"Then why did you wreck the interiors?" He asked, still speaking in a low voice. "I recall you were very unwilling to give in to your anger only hours ago."  
She sobbed quietly and The Forbidden feeling rushed up in him, turning his feigned concern into something genuine and very, very dangerous.

"Do you want to know?" She said. "I'll tell you."  
Her voice was alarmingly calm.  
"Because" she continued, "I know what you feel. But you are determined to destroy this because you are afraid."  
His blood turned cold.  
"You are wrong." He said, hearing how empty it sounded.  
She looked up at him then, her gaze boring into him.

"I know you, Kylo Ren. I know your fears and your secrets and why you would never want to let Finn go."  
This was turning into a very uncomfortable conversation. He wanted to say something to stop her, but his tongue seemed frozen.  
"You can pretend all you want." She said. "You and I both know the truth and it is tearing me apart that you lie about it, even in front of me."  
Then she moved in for the kill.  
"Finn loves me. And here I am with you."  
She lowered her eyes and shook her head.

He should say something. Threaten her to cooperate, order her to be quiet, because now he really wanted to hurt FN-2187. Or he should punish her. As long as he did something.  
There was no movement, neither physically or mentally. There must have been worse moments than this. He could just not think of any.  
If he crossed over to The Forbidden, would he be able to pull out when he needed it? Would she even care if he did?

She moved out of his arms slowly. Her face was a mask of sadness as she turned away from him.  
The things he should not feel spread in his veins like a poison as he moved forward to embrace her from behind. He held her harder than he wanted to, putting a hand on her forehead and leaning his head towards hers.  
She stood absolutely still.  
"If it is any consolation," he whispered, "you are ruining my life."

After a moment's silence she put her hands over his arms as if to hold them there.  
He closed his eyes and tried to imagine it, standing in front of his master with this new weakness at his side, excoriating all he had gained since the destruction of Starkiller Base.  
 _"You have compassion for her!"_  
Yes. And a lot more to be reproached for.  
"Come back with me to the bathroom." He said.  
She let her breath out slowly as if she had been holding it.  
"I would like that." She said.

The struggle inside him throughout the shower was horrible, but he could see her relaxing and decreasing her reservations against him when he washed her hair and took his time doing it. She needed the attention too much. What had it been like, growing up on Jakku with no one to trust and in the end, no one who cared?  
He dried her carefully afterwards, giving her another set of the same military clothes to wear.  
While she dressed, he levitated the table to its place again.  
Everything was spinning out of control at a frightening speed.  
In less than two days she had made a rift in everything he had spent fifteen years to become. He had two weeks to turn her into a willing pupil and right now he had no idea who was in charge of the situation.

The droids delivered dinner soon after and they sat down together at the table. He felt no hunger. He mostly stared at her. She marveled at the food, practically scraping the plate clean, oblivious to the bad quality of military food rations.  
"Tell me about Jakku." He said.  
Rey put the spoon down and frowned suspiciously.  
"I want to know how you survived." He continued. "Tell me."  
"Why would you…" she began. Then she seemed to change her mind.  
She needed to tell her story to someone. He could sense it. And he was not unwilling at all to know more about her. Also, if he made the right moves, she would not only be more compliant. Maybe she would also forget about the wretched FN-2187.

He had to ask her a few direct questions to get her to speak, but bit by bit her story unraveled. She spoke mostly of practicalities and he could tell there were certain topics she avoided.  
It felt strange to listen to her without getting verbally attacked. He lowered his guard and got caught up in the descriptions of how she had learned to bargain, to fight and to gain the respect of every miscreant inhabitant for miles around.  
When her words died out they sat in silence for a while.  
Then he got up and took her hand, leading her into the bedroom.

The lust for her had built up once more and he wanted to order her to strip in front of him and get to her knees, pleasing him with her mouth. There was a constant sweetness about her that made him want to ravage her even more.  
Something stopped him and he looked at her, trying to read her mood.  
Before he could say anything, she locked her eyes with his and hesitated only a moment before starting to remove her clothes. A mix of desire, anxiety and insecurity came from her as she let every garment fall to the floor. He had no idea how he managed any restraint.

She walked close and fell to her knees, put her hands on his thighs and looked up at him.  
Then, with cheeks blushing, she carefully removed the cloth and took his hard limb into her mouth. He could not have lifted a hand to stop her even if he had wanted to. She worked him with devotion and the sounds she made revealed that she found the act pleasant as well.

It was over within minutes. He held her head with both hands and breathed heavily, not sure about how his legs still carried him after the climax.  
He lifted her, threw her at the bed and crawled up with his head between her thighs. She shivered, digging her fingers into his hair. Then he took a firm hold of both her legs, keeping them apart, and sealed his mouth over her sex. His kiss was deep and greedy, sending her into loud moans and gasps immediately. The taste was delicious and so were her trembling and squirming, her whimpering pleas and the hot wetness that met his tongue as he drove it inside her.

When the orgasm came with multiple spasms she cried his name, partly trying to break free from him, partly pushing harder into his mouth.  
This time her pleasure did not decline for a long time. One orgasm followed another quickly, until the fourth one was so powerful that she pulled his head away in agony and lifted it up to her mouth. They kissed eagerly, Rey's arms and legs holding him tightly against her damp, naked flesh.  
If he had to die, a moment like this would be the only acceptable one.

 **xxx**

Rey practically collapsed into his arms when he spooned her. She was fatigued and bodily satisfied beyond measure. Was it even possible to feel what she had felt? There was no energy left to even worry about her situation. Kylo Ren lay naked with his arm around her, already sleeping. She listened to him breathing and decided not to fight the affection she felt until the next morning. Nothing made sense anyway and she was not going to solve this tonight.  
For now, she was fine with pretending that nothing existed outside these rooms.

 _"Rey. Can you hear me?"_  
Her eyes flew open. The peace inside her shattered and a stone manifested in her stomach.  
 _"Master Luke. I hear you!"_  
 _"Where are you? Are you hurt?"_  
 _"I'm alright, but they have Finn. Please, you must help him. The Knights of Ren have him but I don't know where."_  
 _"Tell me where you are and I'll come for you."_  
She swallowed and shut her eyes.

 _"I have failed you, master. I have failed you horribly!"_  
 _"It does not matter. I have tried to reach you for days. Something is blocking my attempts. There might not be another chance. Tell me where you are."_  
An agonizing moment passed.  
 _"I cannot tell you. I cannot go until Finn is safe. Please, please, find him and let me know when he is rescued. That is all I will ever ask of you. Please!"_  
 _"I will find Finn and I will find you, Rey. Be strong and find comfort in the force. We all worry about you."_  
 _"It is more than I deserve."_  
 _"Rey…"_

The connection was broken.  
Rey's stomach made several nasty turns. She rose from the warm bed and ran into the toilet, just in time before the sour vomit came out.  
Afterwards she curled up on the cold floor, trying to get the nausea under control.  
Tomorrow morning her training in the dark arts began.  
She would have to follow all instructions to keep Finn safe and to give Luke time to rescue him. But then what?  
Would Luke take her back as his Padawan after learning what she had done?

The pull towards her twin star came again, this time painfully.  
She walked to the bedroom and sneaked in under his arm again, pressing close to him. He stirred and held her a little tighter before drifting back to sleep.  
It was going to take all she had to hide the information about her contact with Luke.  
But once Finn was free, what would it take to separate from Kylo Ren?


	9. Passion

A red streak had just become visible at the horizon when Rey felt him leave the bed.  
She knew where he was going. There would be no more sleep for her now, knowing that he prepared for her training. Her stomach burned.  
Unable to lay still and wait for the inevitable, she got up and dressed, moving into the reception room. The white landscape outside the huge window was coming to life, with vehicles moving sluggishly over the deep snow and soldiers jogging in strict formations beside them.

She noted a tray loaded with food at the side of the table where she had eaten dinner last night. Not even realizing she was hungry, she ate every last crumb of it, swallowing it down with an entire bottle of water.  
A moment later she paced back and forth before coming to a halt in front of the broken computer screen. The transparent material was shattered, but there might be a chance to fix the components inside. Desperate to get rid of all nervous energy, she sat up cross-legged at his desk and started to work with the tiny threads.

While a pale winter sun slowly rose over the glaciers, the energy from the dark star changed as well. It grew denser and darker, eclipsing the recently created veins of light.  
Find comfort in the force, Luke had said.  
She was not supposed to think of that now or at all. Better to repress everything, pretending it never happened. She knew how to repress things to stay alive.

When he entered the room, dressed in his dark, formal robes, she stood up to face him.  
The Kylo Ren entering the room was not the one who had embraced her yesterday and told her that she was ruining his life. His posture and his face revealed nothing but a Dark Lord on a mission.  
He marched across the room to a set of double doors that had so far remained closed during her stay. The doors slid open and he made a short and formal gesture for her to approach. She did, feeling lonelier than ever.

"Once you enter this room." He said, "You will agree to call me Master. You shall withhold nothing from me and your focus will be only on my teachings. Is that clear?"  
She breathed in and out slowly, hoping that time would stop.  
"Yes." She finally said.  
"Yes what?"  
She looked at him.  
"Yes, Master?"  
He nodded.  
"Enter." He said.

The circle-shaped room was poorly lit. There was a large open space in the middle and a collection of melee weapons hung on the walls in strict order. The dim light emanated from vertical slots in the wall.  
Ren walked straight to the far end of the room and took a staff from the wall, throwing it to her. She caught it and weighed it in her hand. It was made of hard wood with metal reinforcements and the quality was far better than that of her staff from Jakku.

"You have been taught to retreat into a peaceful state in precarious situations." He said. "While such a state could have its advantages in a passive approach to life, it is practically useless for achieving any goals. Especially in battle."  
He grabbed a staff for himself and approached the middle of the room. She walked closer, stopping a few steps away from him.  
"There is no peace in any being." He continued. "There is only passion."

Rey frowned.  
"May I ask questions, Master?" she said.  
"Yes."  
"When M… Luke… fought Darth Vader, he won their final duel as a Jedi."  
"Only by releasing his anger." Ren replied. "Despite all grandiose words, Luke Skywalker is well aware of the benefits of the dark side."  
He lifted the staff into a sparring position and locked eyes with her. Rey mirrored him, feeling confident with the familiar weapon.  
"Is anger the only emotion of value to the dark side?" She asked.  
"No." he said, lashing out at her with the staff.

She blocked him quickly and jumped out of his reach. They started to circle each other, scanning for weaknesses in the opponent's defense.  
"Passion is the force that drives all life forms to evolve. It is the essence of life itself." He said. "You will not deny yourself the passion of anger. Channel it into your actions and strike."  
He made a sweep at her legs the moment the last word was spoken. Again she jumped, aiming for his head before her feet touched the ground. He dodged her just barely, the staff brushing his ear.

"I am not angry." She said.  
"You will be."  
He made a series of quick attacks, putting a lot of raw power in them. Rey was forced backwards, stumbling from the blows. Finally, she threw herself at the floor, rolled past him and rose to strike him hard in the back. He reeled.  
"Still not angry." She said.

His gaze hardened.  
"I will let FN-2187 know about your disobedience." He replied, lashing out at her again.  
She felt a stab of anger immediately, but fought to swallow it as she blocked him once more.  
"It will not work." She said between clenched teeth.  
A storm seemed to grip hold of her, violently pushing her backwards until she hit the wall. She could barely move, watching helplessly as he closed in. The frustration raged in her.

"This is not a fair fight!" She protested.  
"So injustice upsets you." He said, pressing his weapon against her throat and leaning close to her face. "You know, I could have you train in clothes that made you more accessible whenever you disobeyed me. That way I could _rape_ you into submissiveness."

Something exploded inside her and she launched it, whatever it was, straight at him. She was free to move all of a sudden, whipping the staff furiously at him, focusing all her anger into taking him down. Every movement seemed to flow in perfect resonance with the force. She saw his strikes a moment before he made them and it was all she needed to smack him hard over the head, disarm him and bring him down to the floor with a flying round kick. Never had she experienced such power behind her blows. High on the rage, she hit him in the head again as he tried to get up, directing the tip of the staff menacingly at his throat.

Ren slowly brought himself up on his elbow for support. Then he stayed frozen like that, giving her an enigmatic look. Trickles of blood came from his nose and mouth.  
Rey gasped and dropped her staff as if it had burned her.  
"You are a horrible person!" She cried. "How can you even say something like that?"  
He seemed unaffected by her outburst and it made her nearly choke on the anger. She tried to get more words out, but instead there were only gasps for air as she fell to her knees, shaking. He sat up then, carefully moving closer.

"You made me hurt you." She breathed. "You deserved it. You really did."  
Her head started to pound in pain and she realized it was his experience and not hers. Fragments of something long repressed moved in the shadows of her mind. The source of the anger.  
"You will always have a trigger." He said, in a low, soft voice. "Always. But when someone pushes that trigger, you can use it against them."  
Rey tried to take deep breaths but found that the air kept getting stuck in her throat.

He spoke again, slower and clearer this time.  
"You are turning your anger on yourself. Set it free."  
"How?" she wheezed.  
"Focus it on those who wronged you. Then strike."

She closed her eyes, seeing Jakku and Niima Outpost emerge in a red haze. She could almost feel the wind sting her face with its crude grains of sand. Inside a tavern, being a little more than a tent, desperate scavengers, dealers and robbers were gathered. She saw them there, the slave traders who had tried to have their way with her. They looked older now, their faces marked by the teeth of a hard life. She was still too young then, far too young for their advances.

No one had tried to help her as she barely escaped, hiding in the desert for days, with only a limited supply of water. They had returned for her later, trying to capture her and turn her into a slave for hire. How terrified she had been. How alone.  
There had been no change in them since. She sensed the same greed in them, the same lack of decency.  
And now, with one small push of the force, she could end them.

"No." She said.  
The stifling rage dissolved as air filled her lungs. Her throat opened up again and the claws that held her loosened their grip. Strangely, the slave traders in her vision seemed to fall asleep over the table.  
Rey opened her eyes slowly, feeling his hands on her shoulders. He was right behind her, holding her steady. He had seen everything.  
"It is done." Ren said.  
"But I chose not to." She whispered.  
" _I_ chose to."  
"You…used _my_ anger."  
"You were not ready to take that decision. I made it for you."

She did not move as he rose to his feet and walked up in front of her. There was a chaos inside that prevented her from reacting properly to his words.  
He held a hand out to her. She took it, allowing him to pull her up.  
"You should not have done it." She murmured.  
His grip around her hand tightened.

"I will not allow any loose ends that could later evolve into weaknesses."  
She shook her head.  
"Don't even try. I know why you did it."  
"You should have killed them yourself." He said.  
"Why? They were miserable as it was."  
"So you would rather have them continuing their business undisturbed?"  
"Why would you care?" She snapped. "Your agenda is far viler than theirs ever was."  
He glared at her.  
"You have compassion for them." He sneered.

Rey noticed how a red area at his left temple had started to swell. The blood running from his nose and mouth was drying. She felt terribly guilty against her will.  
"You know you have yourself to blame, don't you?" She said, failing to sound as stern as she wanted to.  
"It does not bother me." He said coldly, but she could tell it was not true.

She put her palm against his wounded temple. She could feel the broken tissue and mashed threadlike veins underneath. Her hand turned warm. She could fix this.  
He pulled her hand away.  
"You are not to use your powers for such things." He scolded her. "Pain can be turned into resilience. And you are not supposed to give in to compassion."  
"If it is pain you need, I could just shoot you in the foot next time." She said. "Master." She added sourly, trying to swallow the sting from his rejection.  
"You are still angry." he said.  
"Genuinely pissed off."  
"Good."

Rey sighed impatiently. She was dizzy and hurt. More than anything she wanted him to be tender with her again, but the game he played with her now seemed very far from such a scenario.  
"We are going for a walk." He said. "Stay by my side at all times and behave. If you defy me, you have left these rooms for the last time."  
She could not stop herself from rolling her eyes behind his back as they walked out to the reception room. Was this how he would treat her from now on?  
Ren put his helmet on and his entire composure changed. He let the door to the corridor outside slide open.  
"Walk beside me."  
His voice gained an inhuman quality from the helmet that she did not like one bit, but she did as told.

A mix of relief and anxiousness came over Rey as she stepped out of her prison. It was good to be able to move about more freely, but being surrounded by enemies in an unfamiliar territory did not leave much of a refreshing walk to hope for.  
Her dark star was a head taller than her and took longer strides. She had to march with quite a speed to catch up. He noticed and slowed down.

She could not help but to stare at everything around her, especially the people passing them in the corridors. There were soldiers, officers and others whose occupations she could not guess. They all stood aside as Ren walked by, lowering their heads or their gazes. The only glances anyone dared to cast was on her.  
She felt their fear and caught glimpses of memories from them. Scenes of destruction and death that he had caused. Sometimes on the enemy, sometimes on one of their own.  
She wanted to put them at ease somehow, engage in conversation or just pat them encouragingly on the back. Then she remembered they were the enemy and bit her lip.

As soon as the corridors became less crowded, Ren acknowledged her presence.  
"You need to know that I do not consider the Jedi teachings to be completely inaccurate." He said. "But they have put a consciously misleading ideology into practice that serves to deprive all force users of knowledge about their true potential."  
"Why would the Jedi try to hide anything?" Rey asked, trying to figure out where they were going. This was the same way she had walked when she arrived.

"The Jedi Order chose to serve a society that is completely blind to the nature of the force." He replied. "The force, however, has chosen us as its emissaries. Nobody understands the force the way we do, who is born into it. Therefore it should be our privilege to decide how it is best put to use."  
Rey looked at him, hating how the helmet hid his eyes.  
"You did not answer my question, Master."

"It has always been in the Jedi's best interest to keep the force users powers restrained. If the members of the Order were to discover their true potential through the teachings of the dark side, they might realize that they would have no need for any politicians or chancellors. They could simply take control over society, applying the wisdom of the force to their rule."  
She nodded.

"So, a society governed by force users. But it could never be just. Most beings do not know the force and their priorities would not be to wage wars in its name."  
"Because they know no better." He said. "That is why beings with greater insight should rule."  
"What is the point of governing though, when you cannot govern in favor of your people?"  
He did not answer and seconds later they had arrived at a platform, with a perfect view over the huge docking bay below them.

A number of different ships stood neatly parked and all around them personnel, cargo and Stormtroopers moved about. Rey watched in fascination as a repair job was performed on a damaged TIE Fighter. The technician was welding parts of the wing together and another had opened a hatch under the cockpit.  
Ren moved to stand behind her, close enough to brush against her back.

"You are still very annoyed with me." He said. "I can sense it. And the anger brought up from your past is still alive. Use it. Choose a ship. Lift it."  
"I cannot lift a ship." She protested.  
"Would you not want the pressure in your head to ease?"  
She huffed, but closed her eyes and took hold of the railing that surrounded the platform.  
The shape of the ships appeared clearly in her head. Their bodies were massive.  
"Do not focus on the weight." He said. "Bend the force inside it."

The broken parts of her, the anger, sadness and frustration, gathered and whirled around her core, building a pressure not entirely unlike the one she experienced just before an orgasm. She chose the ship, a worn down TIE Fighter, and pushed the pressure out.  
There was an ear-deafening grating sound, then a loud scraping and splintering, followed by shouts. She opened her eyes.  
The TIE Fighter was wrecked, as if a giant hand had squeezed it together. The wings were wrinkled and bent and its armored glass in a thousand pieces. People were running from it or towards it. Some only stopped what they were doing and stared, partly at the ship, partly up at the platform.

Rey gasped, unable to conceal her excitement.  
"Did I do that? Was it you who…?"  
"It was all you." Ren said, brushing her arm discreetly.  
She turned to look at him and could not stop a smile from spreading across her face. This was not what she had aimed for and she should be ashamed of herself, but nonetheless, she could sense amazement and pride from him.

"What exactly do you two think you are doing?"  
General Hux stood beside them with two officers, his jaws tightly clenched and his cold eyes filled with contempt.  
"My apprentice is in need of adequate training." Ren said, facing him condescendingly. "Her battle skills are worth a lot more than that ship."  
"Did you just order your little plaything to destroy ordnance?" General Hux replied, his voice unnaturally silky.  
Rey bit her tongue not to answer back.

"I do not expect you to understand the full meaning of Supreme Leader Snoke's orders." Ren said. "The girl is to be prepared according to certain standards."  
"I understand all I need to. Your constant vandalism on the property of The First Order is less desirable than ever. We lost our main base, if you remember. If The Order has to deal with two of you, we might as well surrender to the Rebel Alliance."  
"With the two of us, The First Order will emerge victorious shortly."  
"I am sure the girl is a pleasant distraction, but there is no need to reward her for her carnal services this way. Keep her locked in."

Rey felt Ren's anger rise explosively and heard him draw his breath to answer, but she was quicker.  
"There is no need to fear the force." She said to Hux. "But you don't, do you? You fear _him_ , because you have seen what he can do and you fear that one night he might be standing in your rooms, choking you with his mind while you sleep. But you do not need to worry about that. None of us need to see you to hurt you."

The general's eyes widened in shock and his pale face seemed to turn almost green. She had read him like an open book and he knew it.  
"Keep her under control!" General Hux spat. "You be wise to punish her for her insolence, unless she already has you under her thumb."  
He turned abruptly and walked away, the two officers following him in perfect unison.  
"We are going back to the rooms." Ren said.  
She nodded, uncertain of how much of his anger was directed to her.

They had walked no more than a few steps when he opened a small door and pulled her inside with him, locking the door quickly. It seemed to be a small interrogation room of sorts, with a familiar bed board in the middle, rich with straps. Her heart started to race.  
He grabbed her waist and lifted her up to sit on a narrow table against the wall, threw his helmet off and crushed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss, taken aback.  
He broke the kiss and looked at her, his hands cupping her face. He was smiling, his black eyes beaming.

"You will be rewarded for your excellent feat in the hangar." He said. "And I wish to modify a command I gave you. You do not need to behave around General Hux at all."  
It was a rare pleasure to see him smile. His eyes shone with reverence and affection for her. The Dark lord act was gone and somebody mischievous but warm met her gaze.  
Ben.  
She put her arms around him gently and buried a hand in his hair, feeling a rush of heat to her face. She felt excitingly shy in front of this person and her irritation with him was replaced by sympathy as she saw how bad the wounds in his face were getting.

She kissed his ear softly.  
"Don't ever again say things like you said to me this morning." She whispered. "I don't want to be angry with you. Let me find the source of anger my own way."  
"We can arrange that." He whispered back.  
"You crossed a line."  
"I know."

He was irresistible like this. She should be downcast for using the force in such a violent way, worry about what would happen to her next, what would happen to her friends. Instead, her body burned for one thing only.  
He stroked her hair and her shoulders, kissing her cheeks and brow. She sighed and put her mouth against his, tasting it hungrily. She parted her legs and moaned as he pressed closer.  
"Take me." She whispered. "Now."

None of them took the time to strip. Only the essential garments were put aside. She stroked his limb with her hand while he had his fingers inside her, until they could no longer stay apart. She loved how he filled her up, how this tiny streak of pain mingled with the overwhelming pleasure. He held her tightly, shaking as much as she did, kissing her fiercely, stroking her breasts with his hand under her tunic.  
They worked together with a feverish desperation until the forceful release washed in over them both.

Finally, when their legs could carry them again, they returned to his rooms. He made it clear that there were to be no more practical lessons this day. It was time for theory and they might as well be comfortable while she listened to the history of the dark side.  
He led her to the bedroom and she giggled despite herself, embarrassed by her reaction to him. She was not a person who giggled. Ever.

He sat down on the bed and leaned against the wall. She crept up in his arms, overly comfortable and sated. The anticipation in her stomach felt like a recurring dream.  
As he started to speak about the dawn of the force users, far back in a mythical time, she closed her eyes and focused only on his voice.  
The room felt different. She envisioned a warmer place, with bright stone walls and a small fire burning close to a narrow bed, where they were both curled up together. She was seven at most and he was already a young adult, holding her as she lay wrapped in a blanket, listening to his fascinating stories. She never grew tired of them. The ancient adventures of force users were a passion they both shared.

"I love this." She whispered.  
He responded with a kiss on her brow.  
"You remember."  
She opened her eyes and brushed his cheek.  
"Let me try to heal you, only this once." She said. "I really want to know if I can."  
"You are not supposed to."  
"I know. But I feel the pain too. What good is it having us both in a weakened state?"  
"Try if you must. But only this once."

Rey sat up and straddled him, holding his face in her hands before he could change his mind. She took a deep breath and retreated to the peaceful side of the force. So many revelations came from him at once, things he was not eager to share.  
The conflict within him was raging far worse than she could have imagined. He knew he was doing all kinds of things he was not supposed to, that he floated in and out of his old personality in a way he had not done for years and that she threatened everything he had become. In his center there was still a black star, an unshakable conviction that his path was the right one.

Her palms were hot as they touched the red swelling wounds. She got lost in the visions of tissue and veins, of infected flesh and inner bleeding. She had wounded him far more than he had let her know. Her mind wandered with the force, repairing and soothing, until there was only darkness.

When she woke up, he sat beside her, entwining his fingers in her hair. The room smelled of food and her stomach growled in confirmation. A tray stood between them, oozing with the same delicious stew she had eaten earlier. This time there was more fruit and vegetables, more bread and two kinds of juice.  
The swelling was gone from his face. Only a few pale bruises revealed what had happened.

He took a slice of fruit from it and held it in front of her mouth.  
"Eat." He said.  
"I like it when you serve me food on the bed." She smiled.  
He frowned at her in warning, but it only made her smile wider.

The two weeks that followed were the strangest ones he had ever had.  
In theory, he knew exactly what he was doing. In practice, not so much.  
Retreating into the meditation room every morning proved, in the end, to be useless. Sometimes it took her only a few hours to break through his well-rehearsed role as a merciless wielder of the dark forces. Other times, it took only waking up beside her as she nestled close, touching and kissing him with that boundless affection he could not understand. And then there were those times, when she forgot herself and smiled unreservedly at him.

He balanced the force training with lightsaber instructions, which she turned out to find as engaging as he did. She was thrilled to get a real lightsaber to train with and the adrenaline rush from the danger of it seemed to motivate her even more.  
They had started to debate the fencing techniques eagerly as well as the components of the lightsabers and Rey was obsessed with how to improve them. She turned out to be a genius with mechanics, evolving her theories faster than he could follow.

Every day passing was another proof of her success in his training as well as a proof of his own failure to control the situation.  
He had started to order special food for her, giving her what she liked the most and always putting something new for her on the tray to discover.  
Also, a number of electronic readings on ship manuals, engineering and design of war ships and dark side history were constantly handed to her. He allowed her to fix his computer screen and made the effort to order the engineers to replace the glass around it, rather than replacing the entire screen. The evenings and mornings were filled with intimate contact with her. Sometimes he was not sure of whether he was training her or dating her.

He knew it had to stop sooner or later. The moment Supreme Leader Snoke discovered his weakness it would be a choice between him and her. If he did not make that choice himself, he was certain that his Master would. The wise thing to do for Snoke would be to separate them, to take care of her training himself.  
Unless Ren could stop the madness. He should offer to retreat to the First Sith temple to discipline himself, to meditate and communicate with the deceased masters until his core was pure darkness again. Passion between dark force users were not forbidden, but the emotions eclipsing his own selfish goals certainly was.

Meeting General Hux in the corridors or at their assemblies became increasingly uncomfortable. The general was on to his weakness for her and he could probably hardly wait until the next meeting with their Supreme Leader.  
As for Rey, she was a wonder when it came to the force. Never had he seen such a quick development and such powerful displays at her first attempts of controlling it.  
In a couple of days she was to meet his master and swear her allegiance to him. She would not be a disappointment, he was sure of that. But if she would willingly swear an oath to the dark side was another matter. Supreme Leader Snoke could sense deception from the most skilled mind concealers.

On the thirteenth day, Ren was in an urgent meeting with General Hux and the other high officers when a tremor through the force made him leave the assembly abruptly. He walked out of sight and stood rigid, concentrating on the source of the disturbance.  
The scene appeared as sharp as if he had been there.

Luke Skywalker, his cursed uncle, was fighting the two Knights of Ren that he had stationed to guard FN-2187 among other prisoners of importance. Up until now, Ren had been careful to avoid information about exactly where they were. Rey was not supposed to pick that information up from him. Now he focused all he had to connect with one of his knights, taking the information before it was too late.  
He was all too quickly reminded of why his uncle had won the duel with Vader long ago. Through the eyes of the last standing knight, he saw the volcanic landscape of Mustafar before the flash of the green lightsaber severed the head from the body.

FN-2187 was free and his leverage was gone. But how?  
Supreme Leader Snoke had assured him that he would be able to block Luke from finding out about Rey's and FN-2187's whereabouts. Exactly how much did Luke know? The blood froze in his veins as he imagined his uncle harrying this new base, stealing Rey with him.  
Ren started to pace to his rooms.

Could Luke have been in contact with Rey? It would be typical of her sending him to save FN-2187 first. She could still hide things from him, he knew that. But her affection for him seemed as genuine as her hatred whenever it flared up.  
He had left Rey in the middle of dinner as the meeting was announced. Now it was time for a serious talk. But he had to be careful. If it turned out that Rey knew nothing about it, he would not want to reveal that FN-2187 was free.  
Whatever the cost, he had to keep her compliant.

Mustafar was too close, with the right ship only a couple of days away from Hoth. If Luke knew where Rey was, he had precious little time to form a plan.  
Maybe he could send her off to his Master while confronting Luke here?  
With rising panic and anger, he entered the reception room and scanned it quickly for Rey. She was not at the table. Her food was only half eaten, which was unusual. Further in, close to the bathroom, he saw a bottle of water lying on the floor, its contents poured out around it.

He rushed to the bathroom, finding the door open and saw Rey.  
She was sitting by the wall, white as the snow outside. She clenched her arms around her stomach and he could feel the sickness inside her.  
He bent down and grabbed her chin and shoulder and she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I thought it was the water." She whispered. "That general Hux had taken his revenge on me. I tried to get everything out from my stomach that I had eaten. Then I tried using the force, locating what was wrong."  
She took his hand and put it against her stomach.  
There it was; the unmistakable stirring of a new life.


	10. The Truth

"Would you please stop doing that?"  
Ren came to a halt and looked at her. He was trying to pace back and forth in the bathroom, which was too small for such an activity. It was all he could do to stop himself from tearing the walls down, slashing things to pieces and beating the first innocent bystander he could find outside the doors.  
"I really can't." He said.

Rey was still on the floor, her lower lip trembling.  
"What are we going to do?" She said. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for this."  
"Do I look like I am cut out for it?" he snarled.  
He turned away from her. It was impossible to think, seeing her like this. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. What he said next would define who he would be for the rest of his life.

"Supreme leader Snoke must be informed." He said and looked at the wall to stay focused.  
"What? No! This is none of his concern!"  
"This is the concern of the entire galaxy, Rey Kenobi!" He said sharply. "A child born of both our bloodlines? It will certainly affect the political situation, should it ever happen."  
He turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth half open in disbelief.

"What do you think your master would do if he knew?" She said.  
"Take the appropriate decision." He replied.  
"You cannot do this."  
"I can, because anything else would be high treason."  
"What if he decides the child should not live?"  
"Then so be it."

"No." She said, shaking her head. "Please! This cannot be what you want."  
"This is exactly what I want."  
He turned his head away.  
"But this is about us." She pleaded. " Shouldn't we make the decision?"  
"Why? This means nothing to me."  
Rey exhaled unevenly, as if someone had hit her in the stomach.  
 _Do not look at her._

With catlike stealth she rose from the floor and approached him, getting into his line of vision.  
"What about me?" She asked quietly, her eyes trying to catch his desperately. "Do I mean anything to you?"  
He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again.  
"Why would you?" he said. "I was ordered to train you. Certain complications arose. That is all."

Rey's hard shell shattered and it was the most horrible thing he had ever felt. Her eyes filled with tears. Then she hid her face in her hands.  
He shifted his feet uneasily. Her pain was unendurable. He would kill everyone at the base if it would only make her stop crying.  
Why did she not say something? She was supposed to shout at him now, twist and bend his orders into her own will, call him a liar and force the truth out of him.

"You need to get ready." He said with a strange, hollow voice. "You will board a ship tonight and you will be taken to Supreme Leader Snoke. He will decide your fate."  
He reached to take her arm, but she slid out of his grip, sinking to the floor on her knees.  
"Get up."  
"Just let me sit here for a little while." She whispered. "Please."  
This was torture. But he could not give in now. His world was coming apart and this was all he could do not to fall with it.  
He swallowed.

"You need to get up. Now."  
When she did not respond, he took a firm hold of her arms and made her stand up. She tried to dry the tears from her face, but new ones kept coming. Then she steadied her breathing and lowered her eyelids, looking absolutely crushed.  
"You mean something to me." She whispered. "I was ready to stay with you, despite everything you have done, only because I do not want to be apart from you."  
Seconds passed. His fingers released her arms slowly, against his will.

Rey walked past him and left the bathroom. He stood frozen for a moment before slamming his fist into the mirror. The sound was ear-deafening as the splinters came raining down. There were tiny shards sticking out of his knuckles and he pulled them out and threw them at the wall before following her.

She was sitting on the floor in the reception room, leaning against the huge window with her arms wrapped over her chest. Her eyes were lifeless.  
He came to a halt a few feet away from her.  
"Luke Skywalker is coming for you."  
It took a few seconds before she turned her head to him.  
"What did you say?"  
"FN-2187 is free. Luke saved him. Just now."

She looked out the window and then back at him again.  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because if you stay here, my master will find out about your condition and I…cannot let that happen. Luke will have to rescue you."  
Suspicion and fear rose in her. After all, this might be another cruel game.  
"Is this real?" she asked.  
He nodded with a grave face.  
"See for yourself."

For a moment she sat absolutely still with closed eyes. He followed the changing expression on her face as she opened her eyes and threw both hands on her stomach, breathing out in relief.  
The sparks returned to her eyes. She rose and walked up to him. He was not prepared for the hard slap in his face.  
"I never paid you back for that." She said.

The upper cut in his ribs were just as quick and unexpected. He blocked her knee from hurting him in a really sensitive area and tried to get her at a distance. But she kept attacking him furiously, aiming several blows to his head. One of them hit its mark despite his attempts to fend her off. He staggered.  
"I never paid you back for kidnapping Finn either!" She cried. "Or for breaking my wrist! Or for breaking my heart a hundred times!"

He tried to wrestle her down, but she managed to kick him in the stomach before he had any grip at all. Even as he finally got her down to the floor, she kept squirming free, aiming her fists and knees at every available bloat. He could not bring himself to hit her back.  
"Did you really think the rebel base was bombed as retaliation?" He shouted. "If it was, not so much as a pebble would be left to bear witness! Everyone would be dead!"  
"You are disgusting!"  
"What was I supposed to do? I have no idea how to get you out of my system! You are destroying my whole world!"

Rey's next punch had no real power in it. Fresh tears clung to her cheeks. She did not resist as he locked his arms around her and crushed her body against his. Her arms flew up to embrace him as well. For a while, the only sounds in the room were their gasps for breath.  
She buried her face in his shoulder and held him harder.

He struggled to get his voice stable before saying anything.  
"What are you planning to do about the child?" he asked.  
Rey turned her head and put her cheek to his chest.  
"I have no idea." She said.  
"It would be a brave thing to let this child live." He said. "Still, if this is what the force has been driving us towards, then maybe we should see it through."  
"Is that what you want?" She asked.  
"I do not mind if the child lives."

She tipped her head up and looked at him.  
"How… and I am going to take care of everything I suppose?" She said. "Are you going to be there? Should I even let you? I don't think I can do it. I haven't even had a family I can remember. And my destiny is to become a …"  
She fell silent.  
"A Jedi." He said. "I know. But as we lack convenient rules, we should make our own."  
"Just give me time to think."  
"You can still train to be a Jedi."

She sighed.  
"It doesn't matter. Luke will never take me back as his Padawan now."  
Ren could not help but making a derisive sound.  
"You do not know my uncle." He said. "Ask him about Mara sometime. And he would beg me to resume my training if he thought it would please his sister."  
"Mara?"  
"I expect an answer before you leave."  
"I don't want to leave you."  
"I cannot help you against my master if you stay here. Luke is the only one who can provide that protection."  
"Will you come with me?"  
Her voice was so quiet, so filled with unfathomable insecurity.  
"To the rebel base?" He asked.  
She said nothing.

"Listen to me carefully." He replied. "If I leave, Supreme Leader Snoke, The First Order and the remaining Knights of Ren will hunt us relentlessly. This sort of treason would be their first priority to deal with."  
"But…"  
"If I stay here, my master will most likely send me to hunt you down, to conquer my own weakness. At least then I will be able to have some control over what happens to you."  
"I have to see you again."  
"You will. Soon. I shall hunt you with great devotion."  
Rey stroked his cheek.  
"You will be in terrible trouble."  
"So will you." He replied. "I wish I could see Luke's face when you confess your oversteps to him."

She scowled at him, her cheeks gaining color.  
"You should watch yourself." She said. "I know enough about you to make you really uncomfortable."  
"Such as?"  
She opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to change her mind. A shadow fell over her face.  
"How much time do we have?" She asked.  
"Not much."

Stroking a dark strand of hair from his brow, she studied him intensely, as if she was looking at him for the first time.  
"Then we should not waste time." She said. "I know you have secret desires, or at least you think they are secret."  
She took hold of his head and pressed her lips to his, her overwhelming need streaming through him, making the kiss fierce. Suddenly she bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He gasped in surprise and answered the kiss violently, biting her lip back with the same harshness. The taste of her blood with his had him hard in an instant.

He rolled on top to grab her wrists and pin them over her head. She kept kissing him urgently, moaning in disappointment as he removed his mouth from hers. She had blood smeared on her lower lip and he sucked it clean, feeling her tremble beneath him.  
"I know your secrets too, little apprentice." He whispered. "It is true that I really enjoyed it when you called me Master, enough to want to rip the clothes from your sweet body every time. But I enjoyed it especially since I could sense how much you wanted me to."

Her face changed into a dark shade of red.  
"Why didn't you then?" She breathed.  
"What would be the joy in that, knowing that you could hide behind our deal to follow my every command? You cannot hide now. Strip."  
Her lips parted slightly and she licked them nervously.  
"Just so we're clear," she said. "If you ever say things like that out of context…"  
"We are perfectly clear."  
He released her wrists, but kept staring demandingly at her.

Her eyes never left his as she unlocked her belt and let it slid aside. Blushing feverishly, she pulled the tunic over her head.  
He lost the little restraint he had left and pulled her pants off roughly. She helped him by kicking her boots off and started to thug at his clothes.  
As soon as she was naked, he caught her wrists and pinned them to the floor again. Straddling her, he kissed her ear persistently, licking at the sensitive cavities until she writhed and gasped with those irresistible moans.

"I want you to remember who you belong to until the next time." He said under his breath. "Face the wall, on your knees."  
Her entire body was flaming red. Nervously, she rose on her knees and put her body close against the wall. Uncertain about where to put her hands, she pressed them to the wall in a submissive gesture that nearly had him finishing their game too fast.

He was quickly on his knees behind her, embracing her waist firmly and kissing her neck, biting and sucking the sensitive skin. She tasted deliciously of salt and heat.  
Rey shivered and pressed against him desperately, making tiny squeals that were slowly getting louder. He touched her opening and felt how ready she was. It made him bite her harder and move his fingers inside her until the contractions came with too much urgency.

The craving within him grew more violent by the minute.  
He stroked her inner thighs and squeezed her round small buttocks hard, his fingers leaving red marks. She was breathing heavily, red and trembling and completely lost in what he did to her. He put both arms around her waist then and pressed his hard crotch against her buttocks, placing a kiss behind her ear. Her skin almost burned him.  
"Rise to your feet." He whispered. "Walk to the bed and lay down on your stomach."

He helped her to regain balance as she stood up on trembling legs. Then he walked close behind her, stripping his clothes off on the way to the bedroom.  
Rey crept over the bed, leaning down slowly until she laid flat against the mattress. Her eyes were fixed on him, glazed and burning.  
He was drawn to her helplessly, putting his hand under her chin as he joined her on the bed.

"I can stop." He said.  
"No, don't hold back." She whispered.  
She took his hand and kissed his scarred, blood-stained knuckles.  
"Please, Master?" She said, giving him a playful glance.  
The fuses in his brain seemed to blow, one by one. He had to imagine a particularly ugly Hutt to have any control left at all.

He leaped on top of her, pressed his body against hers and pulled her hair loose from the ribbons, nestled his fingers into it and closed his hand into a fist, pulling her head back slowly. Small whimpers came out from her, but they were more from lust than pain.  
He felt drugged. Unhinged.  
She should not be this aroused, this open and willing to what he was doing. It was simply madness. But there it was, the wanton urge pulsating from her sweet, bright star, begging to exist for his pleasure.  
Just as he thought the obsession with her could not get any worse.

Still holding her hair, he entered her from behind, pushing in too fast, too eagerly, digging his fingers into her hip. Something about this entire situation they were in, that he had taken her virginity and then knocked her up, turned him on in a depraved way that he decided to keep to himself for now.  
She was in rapture as he took her, clinging to the sheets so hard her knuckles turned white. Her spasms inside revealed that she was close, even though the physical stimulation she received from this should not be enough.

"You are not allowed to come until I tell you." He whispered in her ear.  
She moaned in frustration, biting her lower lip.  
"Master, I beg you!" She gasped.  
Envisioning the Hutt could no longer help him.  
"Come now!"

Within seconds, he felt her strong contractions pulsating around him. Her right hand went down to help the pleasure out.  
His climax came as an explosion in the middle of her orgasm. Their minds blended again, making it impossible to know who felt what. This time it was clear that they both experienced a deeper and more intense pleasure than they had at any time before. He was grateful for not trying to do this standing up, for the trance-like state they reached now pulled them deep down to near unconsciousness. He could feel her with him all the time, her star thriving in his, his devotion to her in this moment boundless.

He had both arms wrapped around her as the ecstasy settled into a pleasant buzz, holding on to her as if his life depended on it. Her contractions still came, but less frequently.  
Their bodies were wet from the strain and he tasted the salty drops from her skin, reveling in her small gasps and unsteady breathing as she slowly relaxed against him.  
"Please." She heaved, "Stay inside me."  
"Oh, I'm not nearly finished with you yet." He murmured.

Outside there was an urgent meeting about the rebel interference at Kessel and he could not care less. General Hux would not be grateful for being left alone with the crucial decisions and Ren should definitely be there to make sure his colleague did not abuse his authority. Instead, he silently accepted that he was out of his mind and carefully rolled over to the side without drawing out from Rey.

All those things he had said about letting Luke rescue her were still only words. So far her fate and his loyalty hung between two worlds. He raked his mind for any other alternatives than having to let her go. The same merciless answer kept coming up.  
If he committed this treason the consequences would be dire. His master would at the very least sense his weakness for Rey and if he was not meticulously careful, his participation in her escape would be sensed along with it.  
He could still back away from what he had said to her, leaving her in Supreme leader Snoke's hands.

Rey turned her head to give him an affectionate kiss on the chin before sinking back to his arm again with a sigh.  
He closed his eyes. The force was an endless web of threads, some of them woven together in intricate patterns, others still unaware of the others' existence. He followed a familiar thread, one he had not acknowledged for a long time.

The magma streaming around black rocks was far below, seen from a platform where his uncle stood. Luke had aged significantly, but his strength with the force was greater than ever. There were others near him, but Kylo Ren took no interest in them. He intended to make this stay as short as possible. His presence was felt even before the message was sent. Luke straightened up and put all his senses on alert.  
 _Rey will meet you on Isis in 36 hours, at the spaceport Neskroff. Do not fail her._  
Luke sent one word back before he could escape and it came like a blow to the head.  
 _Ben._

Ren left the thread fast and returned to his bedroom, becoming aware of Rey's warm, naked body. The hunger for her was rising again, clawing its way out in a dark, possessive shape.

They had little time left before the plan had to be executed, before she was gone from his bed indefinitely.  
He scraped his teeth against the mark on her throat, feeling her skin prickle under his hands.

"Turn around." He said, pulling out of her.  
She obeyed instantly, cheeks flushed and eyes attentively on him.  
Tasting her lips he bit down lightly at the wound he had already made in her lower lip. She inhaled deeply, whimpering as he licked a fresh drop of blood.  
Rey's fingers moved against his skin, leaving a burning trace wherever they went.

He put his fingers at her scalp, pressing her down gently. She understood and kissed his cheek, throat, chest and stomach with devotion, scuffing down to close her soft lips around him. Feeling the first stroke of her tongue was enough to make his blood rush to her.  
"Rey." he breathed.  
She answered with a passionate moan, working him further into her mouth. Swelling against her tongue, he closed his eyes.

The odds of having this twisted fantasy fulfilled- a young and beautiful Jedi apprentice following his every command- were astronomical. If someone was to set a trap for him, this would be the perfect bait. On top of everything it was her fulfilling it.  
He stroked her hair, gripping the nape of her neck as her sucking became more intense.  
"No." he breathed. "On your back."  
She gave him one last deep kiss and moved up, lying down with parted legs to give him better access. He got on top of her and pressed down against her stomach, searching her face.  
How far was she willing to go?

Rey's lips were dewy, her gaze intense as her hands came up to cup his cheeks.  
"I want you to do it." She said. "I want to know what it's like."  
"It is not going to be pleasant for you."  
"You don't know that."  
"I am too big for you as it is."

She tipped her head to the side.  
"Is that wishful thinking or your way of saying that you have changed your mind?"  
"It will hurt, Rey."  
"Let it. I want to feel you everywhere. I trust you."  
"You shouldn't."

She raised her head from the sheets to peck his lips and cheeks with kisses.  
"Please!" She whispered. "What if I never see you again? I know you have prepared for this."  
His face turned uncomfortably warm. He had hid something under the mattress for this, saving it for a moment when he would have overcome his weakness for her enough to abuse her. As it turned out, things had moved in the complete opposite direction.

She had picked this desire up from him. It was strange and infernally arousing hearing her plead for it.  
She started to turn around, but he stopped her.  
"I want to see your face." He said.  
She nodded, shyly lowering her eyelids.  
"How can this not bother you?" He asked, taking the small tin out from a hidden compartment in the bed.

He pushed her down flat on her back and spread her legs further, preparing himself first while kissing her affectionately. She was so soft and responsive. This had to be done carefully, despite how hard and throbbing he was, despite how much he wanted to jump her and get release from the mere idea of this.  
He put his slippery fingers between her buttocks and probed at the tiny opening.  
Her face was crimson red, her breath unsteady.  
"Relax." He whispered in her ear.

It could have been enough just to sneak his fingers inside her and watch her reaction to reach his climax and it took a lot of strength to hold it back. One finger was enough to reveal that she was too tight for this. But the pleasure he would get from this tightness…  
Desperate submissive moans came out with her breath as he slowly moved another finger inside. He could sense how exposed and invaded she felt, knowing he had her completely at his mercy. It was the other way around as well. They were both frighteningly naked in front of each other.

It was impossible to wait any longer.  
He took hold of her thighs and bent her legs back over her stomach. Embracing his neck, she hid her face in his shoulder. His breath was fierce as he slowly removed his fingers from her and directed his hard limb to replace them.  
Rey's whole body tensed as he tried to get the tip in. She came up in an arch against him, her nails digging into his back. Then she started to hyperventilate with pleading whimpers.

He wrapped a hand around the nape of her neck, stroking her comfortingly there.  
"Calm down. You need to relax completely. Open up and do not resist it."  
The strong contractions reacting to the penetration came to a momentary halt and that was all he needed to press inside. This would be over in a few moments, the way she cramped against him. She was getting ravishingly loud. Somewhere in the red, drunken haze he was aware that her nails were ripping through the skin on his back. The pain enhanced every sensation, pushing him up to a state of emergency he had never before been near.

He was completely inside her now, locking his arm around her waist. Careful not to hurt her, he only dared to make short thrusts. There was already a smell of blood and it was not only from the scratches on his back. He was taking her virginity all over again.  
Unable to delay the climax, he pulled her hair to get her face away from his shoulder; to see her. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but the expression on her face revealed overwhelming arousal.  
She must have sensed his guilt, because she grabbed his hair as well and locked gazes with him.  
"Do it!" She gasped.

His hand trembled when he gripped her chin, pressing his thumb into her cheek. The ecstatic fire consumed him then, driving him into the strongest rapture he had ever had. He rode her to get to its absolute peak and once there, the strength of the pinnacle became excruciatingly painful. The black flames overtook him and left him hanging in this state, tearing him apart.  
Her kisses brought him back. She was shaking violently underneath him, her body glistening wet. She murmured his name desperately and ran her fingers through his hair.

He moved out of her with great care, trying to comfort her with kisses as she winced from it. Wasting no time, he moved down to see how hurt she was. There was only a small trickle of blood along with his seed, but he was not really a physician and could not judge if she was seriously hurt or not. He kissed her belly and cupped his hand between her legs.  
He felt something for her that he knew could be of use for this. But how was it done?  
Rey laid her burning hand over his and he closed his eyes. She drew something from him, directed it where it was needed and sighed as the pain eased.

"I told you not to trust me." He said, placing a kiss between her legs.  
"You are making too much of a fuss about it." She whispered. "I enjoyed it, otherwise I would have stopped you."  
He kissed her throbbing little nub again. She sighed wantonly and he felt the surprisingly rich wetness at her opening.  
Using his tongue and fingers, he drew an orgasm out of her quickly. She must have been very near it already. Rolling her hips against his mouth repeatedly, she worked herself up to a second release, letting it out with louder wails than she did the first one. She writhed from the overstimulation, thighs tensing and cramping against his head.

He wished there would be more time; time to order her to pleasure herself and come in front of him, again and again, until she was empty and he was full, ready to take her once more.  
She was never as beautiful as when she was overtaken by ecstasy.  
There was only tenderness when he moved up to embrace her. They lay entangled for a while, letting their mouths and hands express what was between them.

Ren knew it was time to execute the plan. It had to be done before the meeting ended and too many officers were spread over the base.  
He locked eyes with her, focusing intensely at her face.  
"I need your answer now." He said.

She kissed his cheek.  
"I don't have an answer. We should take more time to decide."  
"No." he replied firmly. "We will both be under surveillance and should not try to contact each other through the force for a while. I cannot have a loose end carrying this kind of danger to us both. I need to know everything that my master can find out…"  
He stopped talking. It was obvious from her wide eyes that she had come to the same realization.

"Do not tell me." He said, pressing a finger to her lips. "Until you see me in person again, do not let me know how you have decided. If it turns out I cannot shield this from the Supreme Leader…"  
She nodded.  
"You have to go." He said, holding her tighter in contradiction to his words.

She might have played his slave for a little while, but he knew all too well that he was the one being enthralled to her as to a lethal drug. Letting her go without knowing when he would see her again, without having any information about the fate of a possible child, was against his very nature. The possessiveness he felt when it came to her was throwing itself against its cage as he struggled to keep a rational surface.  
They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds.  
"So, how do you plan to break me out of here?" She asked.


	11. The Consequences

Rey liked his plan about as much as she liked her life on Jakku, but unfortunately it made sense.  
Ren had already sent a ship from an outpost further away on Hoth, expecting it to dock at the hangar shortly. She was to board this ship with an imaginary Luke Skywalker, who had already stolen the vehicle from the outpost and cut his way through the base before finding Rey.

The background story was that Luke's own ship had experienced technical difficulties due to the low temperature on Hoth and collapsed somewhere. Nobody would be inclined to search for the ship on this forsaken planet.  
Then Luke had stolen a ship from the outpost, making the staff there believe that Ren had ordered them to send it to the main base. The ship he sent for was an unmarked tracker and it had good shields and could travel great distances without needing a refill of fuel. Also, it was armed in case of emergency. It was a lot safer than trying to take off in something as conspicuous as a TIE fighter or a similar battleship stationed at the main base.

So far, Rey was in on the plan without protests. It was the other half of it she detested.  
To make Luke's presence on the base realistic, a number of things had to be staged. Guards and other staff had to be stealthily killed on the way between Ren's rooms and the docking bay. And worst of all, Rey would have to wound Ren significantly so that he would have an explanation for his delayed reaction to her escape. She would need all the time she could get to put a distance between herself and Hoth.

The minutes before they had to leave his rooms were dreadful. Once they stepped out the door their privacy would be gone and they would no longer be able to communicate with each other as they wished.  
He meddled persistently when she dressed, but she really did not mind getting the attention of his hands. She sighed with pleasure as he put her hair back in its three knots, his fingers working with great exactitude.

Every now and then, his hand bumped against the part of her throat where he had put the mark and she did not believe for a second it was an accident. She had a small start every time he did it and it was not the only part of her that was sore from their previous activities. As far as she was concerned, they could have continued their game for days, adding more soreness to her body and more earth-shattering climaxes until none of them could move.

He had been making a fuss about the way he had hurt her, but despite the pain, the wound had been insignificant. A few broken blood vessels on the surface had been all she discovered when healing herself through his hand. Still, even though she brushed his worries off, she was grateful for his concern.  
She was as surprised as he was.  
When coaxing him into letting his fantasies out she was not ready for her own overwhelming willingness to participate. She was still dizzy from it and she could tell Ren was too, even though he put on an act of sharp orderliness.

As soon as he had finished with her hair, he held a gun out to her.  
"Take this."  
"You already gave me two blasters."  
"Then replace one of them with this one. It is better."  
She took it and threw one of the others on the table.

His hands were on her shoulders suddenly and he kissed her forehead, tracing his fingers down her arms. She winced and fought not to throw herself at him.  
The strange game they had played together had driven the dark blades of his star deeper into her flesh. The thing she was afraid to think about, the seed within her that was growing to an ultimate manifestation of their union, was proof of the defeat they had both suffered. None of them could deny the bond they had as it lay evident inside her.

When he touched her chin and tipped her head up, she could hardly meet his eyes. An old horrifying monster was coming out of the darkness, blowing life into painful memories.  
 _"No! Don't go!"_  
 _"Wait for me here. I will come back for you."_  
"Rey."

She forced her eyes to meet his.  
"We will meet again. Soon."  
She nodded with clenched teeth, but inside the world came apart.  
"There's enough food on the incoming ship to last four times longer than the journey to Isis." He continued. "Fly with the shields up at all times. It will make you invisible on all radars."  
"I know."  
She blinked and swallowed.

He drew her in and held her hard.  
"I will be with you all the way to the docking bay before we execute the last part of the plan." He said. "But we need to go now."  
Rey had to gather all her strength to convince herself to move at all. When she did, she noticed she was stuck.  
"Ren? You are holding me too tight."  
"The child." He said. "I want you to keep it."

Her heart skipped a beat.  
"Are you trying to… give me an order?"  
"I am negotiating. What can I do to convince you?"  
"Do you care what will happen to it if I do?"  
"Yes."  
"Will you try to lure it to the dark side of the force?"  
He did not answer.

"Now is when you say 'no'." She said, frowning.  
"Will you try to lure it to the ways of the Jedi?"  
She let out a frustrated sigh.  
"You are unbelievable."  
"I will never be a Jedi." He said in a low voice. "You know this. I believe in the path I have chosen."  
"I am not so sure that you do." She said softly. "But for now, I am grateful for your unselfishness in this matter."  
"I am a lot more selfish than you think."

She had hit a nerve and she did not want to spend their last seconds fighting. She liked it too much when Ben surfaced.  
"Of course you are." She said. "You know I cannot give you an answer. But we'll meet again soon. I want to believe that."  
It took at least a minute before his grip around her loosened.

The flight to the docking bay passed in a blur.  
He used the force to keep them undetected as they left a trail of wounded and dead in their wake. Rey refused to murder anyone outside of battle, so Ren was the one dealing the lethal blows.  
She cringed from seeing him like this; killing so efficiently and uncaring. They were his own people and he seemed completely unconcerned. There was no time, however, to dwell on it.

Once the tracker ship was within sight in the docking bay, they slid inside a storage room nearby. Ren handed her the lightsaber she had used for training.  
"You need to scourge me here." he said, tracing his finger along his right arm. "And here." He pointed to his abdomen.  
She shook her head.  
"Too dangerous." She said.  
"I am not asking." He cut her off. "After that, you do what you are best at, making sure I get enough kicks and blows to have real battle wounds."

Just as she opened her mouth to protest again, she heard something. It was a strange echo of a noise, one of those the force allowed her to hear from distant places.  
"The meeting is over." She whispered.  
Ren ignited his lightsaber.  
"I can't do it!" She said.  
"You can, you have and you will." He replied. Then he attacked her without warning, forcing her to extract the lightsaber and defend herself.

"Use your anger!" He said. "I have killed many of your allies in the raid against your base. Think about them! _Now,_ Rey!"  
Rey followed the flow of the anger without thinking. The moment she slashed into his skin, her own arm burned. She could not stay angry more than a few seconds before the raging conflict within her took over. She channeled all the frustration instead, beating him up and finishing with a burn against his abdomen. He howled from the pain of the last strike and went down.  
"Ben!"

She deactivated her lightsaber and rushed to his side, making sure the cuts were not too deep.  
"Do not…call me…that." He hissed. "Go!"  
There was a lot of blood from his nose and mouth. The wounds from the lightsaber looked terrible.  
"You need help!" She said.  
His dark eyes fixed themselves on her.  
 _If you don't go now, it has all been for nothing._  
She stroked his forehead and bent down, giving him a kiss on the lips.  
"May the force have mercy on me." She whispered. "I think I'm in love with you."  
Then she rushed out of the storage room and into the ship without daring to look back.

 **xxx**

The space port at Isis was crowded with exotic looking merchants and speculators.  
Under any other circumstances Rey would have been delighted to experience the environment. The buildings had a lot of crystal rocks in them and at a distance, mountains of the same mineral made multiple rainbows appear. It was stunningly beautiful. Yet, a dark shadow was following her, turning all the wonders around her into ashes.

She was certain that he was alive and not even near dying. Otherwise she would surely have felt it. But in the last twenty hours on board the ship she had experienced his pain along with the corroding hole in her stomach from the separation. There had been no sleep and far too little eating.  
What if Luke would not take her back? What if the rebels saw her as a traitor? After all, he had bombed the base because of her. It was unforgivable, and mostly so because she had not warned them that Kylo Ren knew where the base was.  
No matter what happened, she had to come clean; at the very least in front of Luke, Leia and Finn. She was terrified of being sent away, of being abandoned on a strange planet again. But if it happened, she had herself to blame.

She came to a halt in the middle of the crowd and closed her eyes, trying to locate Finn. She could still not find Luke in the force and she guessed that they were still blocked from each other. Opening her eyes, she looked to the left. There was a huge cantina there, also serving as a marketplace of sorts.  
She ventured into it, grateful that the grey clothes she wore had no First Order symbols on them. There had been credits in the equipment of the ship, enough to buy her another ship if would become necessary. He had not left anything to chance. She kept the coins hidden in her clothes as she walked inside the gigantic hall, following the thread she had picked up. The thought to sell the ship had struck her, but it would be better to abandon it in the hangar, avoiding unnecessary attention.

Finn was a number of tables away from her, arguing with a tall, one-eyed merchant.  
A warm wave flowed through her. Except for some bruises, he looked as healthy as ever. Rey managed to take only a step towards him before a hand landed on her shoulder.  
She turned around slowly.  
"Luke." She whispered.

Without saying a word he embraced her, holding a protective hand on her head. Her emotions had been running wild the last couple of weeks and now his tender gesture released a stream of tears from her.  
"I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "I really am."  
"Let go of your worries." He said, in the same calm voice she had listened to so often while meditating. "The force is with you and it is always at peace. Feel it."  
She slowed her breathing and he did not let go until her tears had dried out.

When he looked at her again she saw a change in his eyes. He rested his hand on her shoulder with an expression of pity and concern. He had felt it, the thing in her stomach, and now he imagined the worst.  
She felt Finn closing in on them and she shook her head at Luke, pleading with her eyes.  
He understood and pressed it no further.

Embracing Finn was an emotional trip through an asteroid field. She laughed and cried in relief and so did he, until Luke prompted them to stop and walk to the ship.  
Once in the space port hangar, on board the much missed Millennium Falcon, another Skywalker waited. Rey felt her presence the moment she entered the ship. Chewbacca was the first to meet her, hugging her and patting her on the shoulder with friendly growls.  
Then there was Leia.

They stood looking at each other for a moment, the same way they once had when she had returned from Starkiller Base without Han Solo. Leia was the one who took the first steps towards her. This embrace felt a lot more intimate than the others. With Leia, she did not need to speak.  
As soon as the Falcon had left Isis and gone into hyperspace, leaving the ship on autopilot, she stood up and asked the others to gather around the game table.  
"I have something must to tell you." She said.

 **xxx**

Ren had been prepared for a lot of complications since his plan to free Rey was set into motion, but he had not been prepared for her last confession before she left.  
It was perhaps a good thing that he had been badly wounded on the floor, for the impulse to kidnap her once more and go into hiding on a desolate planet had been very strong. He also knew that he would have signed both their death warrants if he had done it.

A day later her words was still stuck in his head, drowning the toxic comments from General Hux as they were gathered in the assembly room with other high officers.  
Naturally, Hux was very upset about the presence of a Jedi Master at the base and kept searching for someone to punish. They were both going to face Supreme Leader Snoke after the meeting and it would probably not be pleasant.

It was obvious that Hux blamed him for the presumed invasion of the base, but he was not bold enough to say it in front of the other officers. Still, he could not stop himself from making snide remarks about Rey's visit at the base.  
Kylo Ren listened to him in silence for a while, until his thoughts could no longer stay away from Rey.

She thought she was in love with him. Did she know what she was saying? Was it her usual inclination for kindness towards those who did not deserve it?  
There was also the possibility of spite. He had after all captured her and made her study the dark arts while holding her friend as a hostage. It would be a fitting way to get a last stab at him while she ran off to safety, leaving him sleepless over this.  
But so much had passed between them. He had felt affection from her. Had it been real?

He had to find her and demand the truth. A stifling jealousy had taken hold over him, aimed at FN-2187 and any other rebel who might have their sights on her. She was carrying his child and with great risk. He should be near her at every minute and instead he had to pretend he knew nothing of it and stay away. What if some rebel scum swept in to play a hero when she felt alone and stole her from him?

"May we have your opinion, Ren?"  
Everyone was looking at him. He would never regret his choice to wear the helmet.  
Without any idea what they were talking about, he decided that attack was the best defense.  
"Who was in charge of security last night?"  
The room was dead silent after that and he could easily order the officers to go out and find the culprit and improve their safety routines.

As he and general Hux finally walked to the audience chamber, he wished that he could have force choked Hux without any consequences. The general was quiet for about a minute of the walk. The rest of the time was spent on making comments about Rey.  
A hammer seemed to bang against the insides of his head, reminding him about the efficient kicks Rey had dealt him. The wound in his stomach and arm had been tended to by droids, but it was still no easy feat to hold his domineering posture.

He needed to concentrate, to prepare for the meeting. His mind could not be allowed to reveal the slightest detail of what had really happened. Instead, it was as if Hux had Rey on his mind as much as Ren, distracting him with double-edged comments about the bad idea of her presence at the base.  
Ren clenched his teeth to stay silent. They had reached the doors to the audience chamber when Hux made a final remark.  
"There was a question on every officer's mind." The general said. "Were you under orders to breed her? I am certain that it must have been very pleasant to rape her, perhaps enough to…"

Flying into the wall with full force, the breath was knocked out of General Hux. Ren held his hand up to direct a pressure around Hux's throat. The general gasped for air, his eyes wide.  
Ren realized his mistake immediately and allowed Hux to squirm free. Had he not been so preoccupied with Rey, he might have sensed why general Hux kept speaking about her so persistently.  
Hux rubbed his throat and stared at him with a strange glint in his eyes. Silent triumph. He had found a weak spot.

"You have no understanding of the force." Kylo Ren said. "Do not presume that you can interpret the wisdom of my master or speak to me in such a manner."  
Hux said nothing. His knowing glance followed Ren as they entered the room.  
The huge hologram flickered into focus as they kneeled in the dimly lit circle.  
Supreme Leader Snoke appeared, many times his real size.

 _"Rise."_  
Hux and Ren stood up. It was General Hux who addressed Snoke first and for once, Ren was grateful that he did not have to account for Rey's rescue and escape himself. The risk of getting caught lying would have been too great. Hux was all too eager showing his concerns over the risk of bringing force users as prisoners to the base, anticipating Snoke's response as he was done.  
 _"Not even a gifted student like you, Kylo Ren, would be expected to conquer Skywalker. At least, not yet."_  
Hux was disappointed, but hid it under a perfect mask of professionality.

"Master." Ren said. "The girl was becoming compliant and is very strong with the force. She made considerate progress in a short time. I believe our work on bringing her over should continue."  
 _"General Hux. I shall ask you to wait outside while I speak to my apprentice. I will need your services directly after that."_  
Hux made a short bow and let the room.

As soon as the door slid shut behind general Hux, Snoke's tone became more reproaching.  
 _"The bond you have to her is making you weak."_  
Ren stood absolutely still, fixing his gaze at Snoke.  
"Yes, Master." He replied. There was no use denying it.  
 _"Yet, you have brought her close to the dark side. I can sense it."_  
"If you let me finish my training with her, then she will seize to be a part of the light. She will no longer be a weakness."

 _"Not even you believe that."_ Snoke sneered. Then his voice became more parental and protective. _"I cannot allow this foolishness to continue. You are my most valued apprentice, Kylo Ren, Master of the Knights of Ren. You have outdone yourself time and time again, faced your challenges without fear and always emerged the victor. I will not let you be defeated now."_  
"Tell me what to do, Master."  
 _"You will stay away from the girl. You need to strengthen your resolve and regain your focus. You will travel to me and together we will once again make you invincible. From now on, I shall handle all matters concerning the girl."_

Ren pressed his lips into a thin line, fighting to stay calm. He knew his master was making the right decision. He longed to feel the strength of the darkness again. Only, he longed for her more.  
"I will do as you command, master."  
 _"Good. Bring General Hux to me. We have private matters to discuss."_  
Ren made a short nod before leaving and obediently told Hux to enter the room again. Deep down there was an ominous feeling. He sensed that Hux private visit concerned Rey somehow and it was not a good sign that he was left out of that conversation.  
He had to see her before his journey to Supreme Leader Snoke.

 **xxx**

"I need to tell you this before we reach our destination." Rey said, standing in front of her rescuers by the board game table. "Because when you've heard it, you may no longer want my company."  
Finn shook his head.  
"Nothing you can say will make us feel that way." He said.  
"I'm with child."

The silence was deafening, as if a thunderbolt had drowned all sounds out.  
Leia, who had so far been sitting down, rose to her feet. Luke had an enigmatic expression on his face. He did not move. Finn's mouth opened and closed several times. Then he walked up to her and put his hands protectively on her shoulders. The anguish in him nearly tore her apart.  
"Did _he_ do this to you?" he asked. "Did he…?"

Leia pushed him aside, putting her hands on Rey's cheeks. The silent fury coming from her was not directed at Rey.  
"Did he…my son… make you do something you did not consent to?"  
Rey felt a big lump in her throat. She lowered her gaze in shame and shook her head slowly.  
"No." She said, feeling hot tears run down her cheeks. "He didn't."

There was confusion, anger and protectiveness coming from Finn, along with very strong feelings for her. He was distraught and did not know how to deal with it.  
"But if he did not," Finn said, "then who…?"  
"No Finn. He _is_ the father." She said.  
Again, horrifying silence.  
Finn frowned, trying to make sense of what she said.

Rey could not stand the silence a second longer.  
"There is this… _connection_ …between us." She said, not daring to look at any of them. "It is pulling us towards each other all the time. At first, I denied it. Then…"  
She shook her head again.  
"I can't explain it." She confessed. "I don't ask for you to understand. I don't know what is happening. I don't know what to do about _this,_ " -she gestured to her stomach- "And I have done terrible things I don't know how to make right."

"He must have used his evil powers on you." Finn said, his voice trembling. "We can fix this. Luke can…"  
"No!" She snapped. "Finn, please try to understand. I am not proud of this, but it's not him doing it."  
"You don't know that!"  
"I do! He got me out from the base the moment he knew about the child, just to keep me safe in case I would choose to keep it. He contacted Luke so that he would find me."  
Leia closed her eyes and nodded slowly.

Finn turned away. This was terribly painful for him and she wished there was anything she could say to make it better.  
"So now he's good, I suppose?" Finn said. "All murders he has committed, all suffering that he has caused means nothing?"  
"Finn, please." She whispered. "I know what he did to you. I never wanted this…"  
"You don't know, Rey! You have no idea!" Finn spat. "Because while I was being tortured on Mustafar, you were having an affair with the enemy!"

Leia stepped between them. She held a hand up to quiet Finn, before she addressed Rey.  
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Leia asked. "Two weeks do not always leave certain evidence of a pregnancy."  
"It is probably seven weeks." Rey whispered.  
Finn sank down against the wall.

The shame was killing her.  
Rey turned to Luke, trying to stifle her sobs as she spoke.  
"I have broken my vows as a Padawan." She said. "I have lied to you and to everyone since the day you left for Kessel. The base was bombed because of me and I have been practicing the dark side of the force."  
Luke's gaze was as intense as it was weary.

"I wish there was anything I could do to make it right." She continued. "I am causing so much suffering and I think it is best if I leave."  
"Leave?" Leia said. "Oh, child, you are out of your mind!"  
"But I met him in the forest that day." Rey protested. "He knew where we were and I should have told someone. I just…"  
"He will always know where we are." Luke said. "His mind powers are very strong. There are few of us who can shut him out."  
"But if it wasn't for me," Rey said in a small voice, "The base at D'Qar would still…"  
"You did not make the decision to destroy it." Leia said firmly. "It is his responsibility alone."

Leia gently wiped the tears from Rey's face.  
"I don't know how." Leia said. "But you have made my son stray from his dark path. No matter what comes out of this, you have given us hope. This, my grandchild, gives me hope."  
Leia touched Rey's stomach tenderly.  
Rey swallowed.  
"I want it. But I don't know if I can do it." She said.  
"We will all be there for you."  
 _Except the child's father._

Leia put her arms around Rey and held her tenderly.  
"You are family to us." Leia said. "Now more than ever. Luke agrees. He will continue your Jedi training and there will be no talk of you leaving."  
Rey glanced at Luke, who raised an eyebrow.  
"Can I have a moment alone with Rey?" Luke said.  
Leia nodded and let Rey go with a reassuring pat on her shoulder. Finn was still seated against the wall, looking away. The pain she felt from him nearly brought her to her knees.

She walked up to Luke and they sat down in a corner further away from the others.  
Luke took her hand.  
"When you came to The Jedi Academy as a small child, you and Ben were inseparable the moment you laid eyes on each other. Even though he had ten years on you, he was never bothered by your company, in contrast to how he felt about the other children. He watched over you."  
Rey nodded.  
"I remember parts of it."  
"It is unusual that the destinies of two beings are so tightly knit together at such a young age. You were only four when you came to us, but on your very first evening with us you told me that you were going to marry him when you grew up."

Her ears got hot and she looked away.  
"I was four." She said. "A lot has happened since."  
"It has." Luke said. "But I sense your feelings for him now as strongly as I sense the darkness that has taken root in you."  
"I don't wish to follow his path." She said. "I tried it. And you were right. Gaining power with the dark side is quicker and very, very tempting."

Another tear trailed down her cheek.  
"All I wish for is to find that peace again, that place in the light where everything is still and beautiful. I want it to quiet my thoughts so that I can see clearly."  
Luke squeezed her hand gently.  
"Then let us start there." He said.  
She held his hand tighter.  
"I cannot let this child go." She said, meeting his eyes.  
"I know."  
She hugged him then and held him tightly, forgetting to show him the proper respect.  
"He was right about you." She whispered.

Releasing him, she looked at Finn. Luke nodded and let her go.  
"Finn?" She said, squatting down by his side.  
He did not look at her. His face was grim.  
"Do you love him?" He asked.  
"Don't do this."  
"It's a simple question. There is just a yes or no."  
She bit her lip.  
"Yes." She said.

He drew his breath, as if reacting to a blow. Then he looked at her.  
"Why did you tell me that you loved me?" Finn said. "You said you had your vows as a Jedi, but by then you had already been with him."  
"I didn't love him then." She said. "I wanted to forget him. I meant what I said to you, Finn. I still do."  
When he did not answer, she put her hand carefully on his.  
"I know this makes no sense." She said. "But I cannot lose you."

He only shook his head sadly, infinitely hurt.  
"I don't know who you are anymore." He said. "You have to leave me alone for now. Can you do that?"  
She withdrew her hand slowly from his and backed away, moving out of sight from the others before starting to cry again. How could there be any more tears left? She was losing Finn and Kylo Ren was getting further away from her every passing minute.

Even though the Skywalkers were at her side, they could not stop the familiar loneliness from creeping up and taking over. She lay down at the bunk, stroking her hand over her stomach.  
"I will not fail _you_." She whispered. "No matter what happens, I will never, ever abandon _you._ "  
It took no more than a few minutes before Leia was there, putting a blanket over her and stroking her hair.  
"I love him." Rey whispered. "Why can't it be someone who is good for me, like Finn?"  
"Tell me about it." Leia murmured.

As general Hux was called into the audience room once more, his luck turned.  
The Supreme leader informed him that Ren was to leave the base for some time and that General Hux was given the authority of taking sole leadership over the troops.  
It was a dream coming true. Ren had been in need of discipline for a long time and no one was happier than Hux to see it realized. Then Snoke jumped to another promising subject.

 _"The girl must be dealt with now, before she is strong enough to become a real danger. I shall command the Knights of Ren to hunt her down and I choose you, General Hux, to oversee the operation. The master of the Knights will not find out about this until it is done. I shall deal with it then."_  
"It will be my first priority." General Hux said. "I will not fail you."  
It was time to put their valuable spy into use.


	12. A Fateful Kiss

"Rey!"  
She stirred and opened her eyes, shielding them against the sun. She had rested on a moss-covered stone a few feet from the new base, delighted to be back at D'qar. To her great relief, The Resistance had stayed on the planet and decided to build another base hundreds of miles away from the last one. This time it would have powerful deflector shields.  
The serenity of the forest had been much missed, but there was little time to enjoy it. She was not to stray out of sight from Luke and somehow Leia was constantly nearby.

This time it was Poe who joined her.  
"I just talked to the Skywalkers." He said, approaching the stone as she rose on her elbows. "I heard we are having a baby together."  
She smiled and looked away in embarrassment.  
He flashed his winner smile at her and sat down on the stone, his playful charm taking the edge off the situation.  
"So they chose _you_ for that." She replied.

The father of Rey's child had to remain a secret at the base. Ren had been right when he implied that the child's existence could cause a lot of turbulence. Leia had decided that they needed a cover up, one that would not be too far-fetched. Finn would of course be the perfect candidate for a father, but he and Rey were still not on good terms and to involve him in this game would be too cruel. Instead, people would have to guess that their relationship was strained due to her pregnancy with somebody else. It was technically the truth.

"How much did they tell you?" She asked.  
"I am too much of a gentleman to ask about the particulars." He said. "But don't you worry, Jedi. I'm all in on this."  
"I am not a Jedi."  
He studied her with puzzled fascination.  
"You could be, the way you floated those cannons into place like they were made of feathers."  
"I still have a lot to make up for."  
"Tough time at The First Order, huh?"

He was frank with such ease, disarming her completely. She could definitely live with having Poe around.  
"You bet." She said.  
"So, how do we do this? I mean, I know we're not sleeping in the same bed, obviously. But are we going to do the kiss on the cheek thing and try to, you know, steal a glance every now and then, do lingering touching, that kind of stuff?"  
"I don't know. How are these things usually done?"

He scratched the back of his head, picking up a red fruit from the ground.  
"Heck, I have no idea." He said. "But it's our fake relationship, right? We make the rules."  
She let out a laugh.  
Poe was modest saying that he had no idea how this was done. He had been involved in more love affairs than anyone she had ever heard of.  
"So what do you say? Are we starting off with holding hands and kissing cheeks?" He asked, biting into the fruit.  
"Sure." She said. "Why not?"

Behind his contagious smile there was concern for her. He was not sure that the pregnancy had involved her consent. Her conscience prompted her to speak.  
"It's not what you think." She said. "The child's father and I just… needed a break."  
He nodded and handed her the fruit.  
"He must have been crazy though, taking a break from you."  
She smiled warmly at him, trying to ignore the stab in her chest.

Since the day she left Hoth, there had been but one message from him, a whisper in her mind that General Hux and Snoke was out to get her and that she should tell Luke. She had done exactly that, hoping for more contact. But since then there had been a noticeable radio silence.  
In front of them the new base was being constructed and she could see Finn helping Jecita carrying a metal beam. With a mix of bitterness and relief she watched as Jecita's eyes sparkled when Finn looked at her. Those two had spent a lot of time together since Finn returned to the base and part of her was happy that he could find comfort in Jecita's affection.  
The other part wanted her friend back desperately.

It had been eight weeks since she escaped the enemy base and her usually flat stomach had gotten a small bump. She had also resumed her old tradition of counting days by scratching marks on a stone near the base. Today it was fifty-six days and twelve hours since she last saw Kylo Ren.  
She had tried to fill her head with other things, such as Luke's instructions to get her back in balance, his teachings about the light, Leia's advice on her pregnancy and everyone around her who wanted her company.

At night she curled up in pain, hugging her pillow like a little girl, praying that she would sense the slightest flicker of a flame from the dark star. There was only silence.  
He did say that they would not be able to contact each other for a while, that it would be a danger for them both. Maybe he was shutting her out not to endanger her. Or maybe he was returning to the darkness and had decided to cut her off, emotionally and telepathically.  
She had to believe in the first alternative to be able to keep breathing.

One thing was certain. The First Order was planning something huge again. Intelligence was coming in from well populated, urban worlds that they had been signing away their freedom to The Order without a fight. It was obvious that The Order held a terrible threat over their heads. Even so, there had been no reports of a new super weapon of any kind. Leia had her hands full trying to get more information, sending scouts and spies half across the galaxy.  
Rey was pulled out of her thoughts as Poe playfully took her hand.  
"Let's stroll up to the others." He said. "We need to get everyone to start talking. With a bit of luck, the entire base will have figured out our 'secret' by dusk."

 **xxx**

General Hux walked to the audience chamber with a spring in his steps. The base on Hoth had thrived under his command and the winds had certainly turned in his favor. And this morning, his spy had finally delivered.  
He stepped into the chamber, kneeled as the hologram of The Supreme Leader appeared and rose as soon as it was fitting.  
 _"Speak, general."_  
"I have news, Supreme Leader." He began. "Our spy at the rebel camp has retrieved information that could be of interest to you."  
He made a short pause before continuing.

"The girl, the force user, is with child."  
 _"Has she abandoned her Jedi ideals?"_  
"Better." Hux continued. "There is a charade at their base about the child belonging to some pilot, but the truth is, it belongs to Kylo Ren."  
Snoke leaned forward from his throne, his eyes narrowing to gleaming slits.  
 _"Are you certain?"_

"Our spy has formed an intimate relationship with a close friend to the girl, the traitor FN-2187. He revealed to our source that only he and the Skywalkers knew about this secret and that he had heard it directly from the expecting mother."  
Hux had never before seen a smile on Supreme leader Snoke's face, but now the shape of his mouth twisted into something similar.  
 _"The Knights of Ren are sent into position. You were going to execute the order tomorrow, yes?"_  
"That is correct."  
 _"Then you will relent and alter your orders. I shall make sure the Knights are well hidden from the eyes of the force users. Listen carefully."_

General Hux memorized the exact words as he had learned to do a long time ago, making sure that the orders would be followed to perfection. Nodding in agreement to Snoke's words, he could not help but to ask.  
"Are we expecting Ren back at the base any time soon?"  
 _"Kylo Ren has just left for the Temple of the Sith, after making impressive progress with his powers. He will not interfere in this matter. Be assured, general, that you have served me well. It will not go unnoticed. For now, you will leave me to make preparations. This might take more time than we presumed, but our gains will be so much greater for it."_

 **xxx**

Rey was dreaming about him again.  
The place was familiar, the dying sun casting a morbid red light over the temple ruins. She was walking through a great hall, dark spirits lurking behind every gigantic pillar. She was not afraid of them.  
He sat on the floor with his back to her, his eyes closed in concentration, his skin paler than usual.

As she approached, he turned his head and saw her. Then they closed the distance between them and she could feel his hands on her as if he was real; his warm mouth on hers. The dream was fading, but she fought to stay in it, managing to keep the tingling feeling of his kiss on her lips. She felt the bed under her again.  
Someone was holding a hand under her head, really kissing her.

Her eyelids flew up. She inhaled violently to scream and stopped her elbow just an inch from his temple.  
"Ren?" She breathed.  
The familiar black eyes were looking back at her. The body sitting on her bed felt heavy and real. She moved a shaking hand to his face, tracing her fingers along the scar. He was compact darkness. The spark inside that she usually connected with was deeply buried beneath layers of walls.  
"I had to see you." He whispered.  
"You…how did you get in here?"

She did not wait for an answer. Her arms were around him in an instant, holding on as hard as they could. He responded with equal passion, pressing down on top of her on the small bed.  
Her tears started to fall. She held him locked to her with both arms and legs. She could not get near enough. They were both trembling and desperate as their hands searched each other's bodies.  
"I've missed you so much." She whispered.

His hand was already slipping under the white tank top she was wearing.  
"I like you a lot better in these clothes." He said under his breath. "It makes your innocence so much more appealing."  
He had to be real. Nobody could make her face burn the way he did. There was something off with him, something vaguely inhuman. He must have plunged deep into the dark side while they were separated, but her need for him was too great.

His hand stroked her breasts before landing possessively at her stomach. He traced his palm over the bump.  
"You kept it." He said, his eyes catching fire. "And now you need to be reminded about who owns you."  
"Ren…"  
He crushed his mouth against hers and pushed his tongue roughly into her, rock hard against her thighs. She let out a quiet moan before breaking the kiss, pressing her palms against his chest.  
"Are you insane? Luke is on the other side of that wall!" She whispered.  
"Then you better not scream." He responded.  
"He'll know you are here!"  
"He will not. He is weak when it comes to detection. Stand up!"

She was mildly dragged out of bed when she did not rise fast enough. Ren swept the mattress down on the floor to give them more space, locked his arms around her and wrestled her down on it. She let him do it, her skin blazing from the slightest touch. He took hold of her panties and ripped them off, entering her with his fingers. He was quick to cover her mouth as she let out a wanton sound.  
"You get ready for me so fast." He whispered. "You want to please me, don't you?"  
She removed the hand that pressed against her lips and kissed it.  
"I would like that." She murmured.

The words had barely left her mouth as he gripped her upper arms firmly and pinned her down on her back. She spread her legs for him, shivering from her own strong arousal. He was over her instantly, entering her with most of his clothes still on. He had to put his hand over her mouth again to quench the unstoppable sobbing moans. The way he was stretching and filling her made everything spin. There was nothing else but the wet pleasure he caused; nothing but his hand against her mouth, pressing fingers through her lips that she eagerly tasted. His gaze bore into her so fervently that it alone could have caused her to come.

She sensed how close he was and urged him on by moving her hips in his pace, letting him further inside. He rode her fiercely, thrusting hard into her as he climaxed. He bit into her neck to stifle his own sounds, loosening the bite only gradually as he came out of it.  
She was breathing in gasps, drunk on the inseparable pleasure and pain.  
He did not waste a lot of time before moving out and straddling her.  
"Please yourself while I am watching." He said.

A new wave of arousal hit her. Her hands moved down on their own accord, trembling from the embarrassment. Her heart was racing so fast, she thought she might die from it.  
He leaned over her and studied her face closely. She lowered her gaze, feeling acutely shy in front of him as she let her fingers work at the tender flesh. His intense stare made the swollen little knob throb under her fingers, tensing all those threads that would shoot forward when the orgasm came.

"You belong to me, Rey."  
"Yes…" She whimpered, stumbling on her own breath.  
"Say it."  
"I…belong…to…you." She gasped.  
She slid her hand further down, pushing two fingers inside and letting the palm stimulate the needy spot above her entrance. His seed had made a wet mess down there. She was oversensitive, needing her release fast.  
"Ren, I'm going to…"

He gripped her jaw and prevented her head from tossing to the side as she came with strong spasms. She was trying and failing to swallow the tiny squeals that came out with her breath. In the middle of it all he started to kiss her and she sucked at his tongue as if it was his hard limb in need of pleasing. He kept kissing her until her breath came slower and her fingers moved up again, clinging to his arm.

It was surreal having him in her room, at the heart of the rebel base. If her senses and her strong connection to him had not been so convincing, she would have sworn it was another wet dream.  
A careful knock on the door gave her a real start.  
 _"Rey? Are you alright in there?"_  
It was Poe.  
Ren glared at the door and looked back at her.  
"I'm fine!" She called. "I had a dream, that's all."  
 _"Can I come in?"_

Ren frowned.  
"Why does he want to come in?" He whispered.  
"Now is not a good time." She called, ignoring Ren's question. "I'm grateful that you're checking in on me, but I'll be fine."  
 _"Okay, Jedi. I'll be right next door if you need me."_  
Rey exhaled as she heard the door beside hers close.

"You are grateful for his attention?" Ren said.  
"What is the matter with you?" She sighed. "He lives here. And usually I don't make any noise when I…" She came to an awkward halt.  
"When you what?"  
He started to stroke her cheek and neck a little too hard, his hands trembling slightly. It was as if a dark phantom had possessed him.  
Rey squirmed out from underneath him and sat up, straddling his lap. He wound his arm around her waist immediately, gripping the nape of her neck with his other hand.  
She leaned her brow against his.

"When I touch myself and think about you." She confessed in a low whisper, her cheeks getting hot. "What has happened to you, Ren? Where were you?"  
He became slightly calmer.  
"With my Master, making sure my skills exceeds his- and Luke's- when it comes to cloaking my mind." He said. "I can move on and off his radar now, but not for longer periods of time. I am journeying to a Sith temple at present and decided to make a detour."  
She put her arms around him tenderly.

"Were you in a lot of trouble? Are you still hurt from…?"  
His thumb stroked her neck in that reassuring way that made her wince with pleasure.  
"No." He said. "But I am not supposed to hunt you, kill you, train you or see you at all anymore."  
"No…!"  
He held her tighter.  
"My master do not trust my judgement about you and he is right not to. So far, all my missions concerning you have failed."  
"But…what do you want?"  
"For now, an answer from you."

He lifted his brow from hers and looked her in the eye.  
"My powers are becoming stronger. I will soon be able to overthrow my master and take his place. When I do, will you reign with me?"  
Rey blinked.  
 _"What?"_  
"Hear me out. You and I will be invincible together. We can rule the galaxy, making it the way we always wanted it to be, finally bringing the wisdom of the force into politics."  
"Are you serious?"  
"You have noticed how The New Order is gaining power over an increasing number of systems. Soon, all key locations will be ours and no one will be able to oppose us."  
He kept stroking her neck, placing a kiss on her lips.

"I am asking you to _be_ with me." He said. "In time, as we pass away, our child will be the strongest ruler the galaxy has ever seen. Imagine both our skills and knowledge transferred to one person. We will change history!"  
"I could never rule over others." She said. "It is not who I am."  
"Then leave the ruling to me." He pressed. "You will have everything you ever dreamed of."  
It was all Kylo Ren speaking to her now. Being with Snoke for weeks had obviously changed him back to something she could not reach. Where was Ben? She closed her eyes for a moment and connected with the force.

"And the Jedi?" She asked calmly. "Luke? How about the force sensitive beings that will not support you? Your mother?"  
"They will pass away soon enough. Luke can not withstand us once we are together and you are fully trained."  
"Your mother misses you." She said, pinching her lips together. "She is taking care of me and wants nothing but to see our child arrive safe into the world."  
"Rey…"

"She is fighting for a world where children will not have to get their parents murdered by fanatical soldiers, where children are not kidnapped and brainwashed into serving some power hungry, crazed overlord."  
"You are twisting everything around."  
"Am I? What if our child was kidnapped by a rising dictator to do his bidding?"  
"Then we would destroy this dictator!"  
"See? And you did not answer my question. Would you let your mother live?"  
He held his tongue, glaring at her.

"You see, I figured this out a while ago." She said. "It makes no sense that you have not yet tried to murder Leia. Luke was not even around to protect her for a long time. She is the leader of the resistance after all. You could have entered the base the way you did now and taken care of it. But you didn't."  
"Be quiet." He said under his breath.  
"Your father was delivered to your door, on the other hand, and yes, I can feel how you cringe when I speak of him. But your mother? You still care for her. I can sense it. But she would fight you to her last breath if you tried to go through with this. And so would I."  
His eyes went black. He pushed her to the ground and rose, towering over her.

"You do realize I could take you with me right now?" He hissed.  
"I'll scream and you'll have Luke on your hands within seconds."  
"I am giving us the opportunity to be together!"  
She took a deep breath, trying to blink the tears away.  
"I meant what I said to you, that day." She said. "I love you. But the part I fell in love with is the one you are doing everything to destroy. I want you, Ren. But not like this. You know that."  
He stood frozen like a statue, the fury flaring in his eyes.

"I will be back for you." He replied darkly. "You are destined to be mine, whether you wish it or not. You will be by my side, even if I have to chain you to my throne."  
He glared at her for another second. Then he moved out through the door and shut it soundlessly; leaving her alone with the worst kind of pain she had ever felt. She had to curl up and brace herself not to run after him and give in to his madness.

She had hoped for too much in his absence and now she paid the price for her foolishness. The walls of her carefully built illusion were tumbling down around her. How could she have pictured herself as good enough for him to make a change? Had those times she had seen Ben even been real?  
Rey dressed with shaking fingers. The room was stifling her. She had to get out.

 **xxx**

It was Jecita who found Rey wandering restlessly around the base, her eyes red and swollen from all the crying. It was near dawn and other than Luke's apprentice, only the night guards were moving about.  
Rey was pacing one of the corridors leading to a side exit, her face streaked with tears.  
It was easy to feign concern for this one. Her sweet innocence made Jecita want to tie her up and whip her senseless, only to comfort her with kisses before resuming the whipping again. She could very well understand why the renowned Kylo Ren had used her for his pleasure.  
Seeing an opportunity to fulfill her mission, she closed in on Rey and put on her most concerned face.

"Sweetie? Are you alright?"  
Rey came to a halt and stared at her with wide eyes. She started to wipe her tears away quickly, trying to put on a tough surface.  
"Sure." Rey said, her voice trembling.  
Jecita shook her head in sympathy.  
"You're not." She replied.  
Putting a hand on Rey's arm and letting it linger there was all it took to be able to embrace Rey without meeting any resistance. Rey put her arms around Jecita in response, crying into her shoulder. Her sobs were wonderfully heartbreaking.

Any spy but her would have been exposed a long time ago, having three force sensitive persons around. But nobody- neither Kylo Ren, nor any of his knights, nor The Supreme Leader- had ever been able to read her mind or her intentions. It was a gift that had made her rise from a miserable life on a dying planet to a prominent place in The First Order. Her employees took well care of her, making sure that she would never again be near the poverty she had experienced as a child. If this new mission was completed successfully, she would be paid enough to be able to retire to Akiva for good, enjoying the mild climate, the beaches and the bars there like a queen.

"You look frozen." Jecita said. "Do you need a blanket?"  
Rey shook her head no.  
"I can't breathe in here." She sobbed. "I wish I could go outside."  
This was almost too good to be true.

"You could, as long as you stay close to the base." Jecita said. "I'll go with you. You look as if you are in need of some company."  
"I shouldn't." Rey said, but her determination was wavering. She seemed strangely numb, as if she had lost her motivation to care.  
"Here." Jecita said. "Take my jacket. I'm warm as it is, after a hundred turns around the base."  
"Thank you." Rey whispered, lowering her head.  
"The exit is right there, a few feet away. Let's breathe in some forest air and watch the sun rise."  
Rey hesitated.

"Also," Jecita added, "I would like to speak to you about Finn if you think you would have the strength for that right now. He really misses you."  
It was all too easy. The desperate need of hope in Rey's anguish made her take the steps to the door. Jecita held it open for her, putting one hand on Rey's shoulder and the other hand in her own pocket where the sender was. She pushed the button three times, signaling that the Knights should move into position. They had been waiting for days and had already been through two false alarms. This time it had to work.

They walked around the base once, before Jecita started to lead her into a forest path. Rey did not protest. She seemed to find comfort in Jecita's company, as Jecita told her about how Finn wanted to be friends with her again but did not know how to take the first step. The young Jedi-to-be seemed more than eager to put her mind on something else than the source of her misery, whatever it was.  
When they had gone far enough into the woods, Jecita stopped and took both Rey's hands into hers, facing her.

"You know," Jecita said, "there was one special message Finn asked me to give you, but I feel kind of embarrassed about it."  
"Don't be." Rey said, softly encouraging.  
 _Poor, innocent little girl._  
Jecita leaned closer to Rey, letting her arms slowly slide around her waist. She kissed her softly on the mouth, wishing she could have enjoyed it in a more private manner. Rey pulled away a little, distracted enough to miss the shapes moving in behind her.

She must have sensed something, because when the first Knight reached for her, she spun around and dodged, kicking him in the stomach. By then it was already too late. She frantically tried to use the force to push the other one away, but as she opened her mouth to scream for the guards, the third knight – a skilled force user- moved in and put pressure on her throat. Rey fought it impressively, despite the others ganging up on her, trying to put their powers together to paralyze her. Finally, as Rey was nearly immobilized, Jecita took her blaster out and hit her hard over the head with the handle.

The girl dropped to her knees, the blood trickling from the back of her head. Jecita bent down and took hold of her face while the knights brought their chains out to tie the prisoner up. Rey was already well on her way into unconsciousness when Jecita slipped her tongue into her mouth and kissed her intimately.  
"One for the road, sweet girl." She whispered. "Give my regards to The Supreme Leader."


	13. The Monster's Lair

"Give her another shot."  
The voice was cold and crisp, emerging from pitch darkness.  
There was a sting in the bend of her arm, followed by a chilling ripple, travelling right below the surface of the skin.  
It pulled her downwards, back to the depths. She fought it, pressing her mind into a dense spear, thrusting it towards the voice.

Someone screamed. Then there was a scraping noise.  
"She's waking up! Knock her out! Now!"  
The voice dissolved in weightlessness.

Sounds moved like currents under water, floating in and out of reach. Clicking and humming came from machinery around her. A hyperspace panel made a familiar noise, telling her it was activated.  
At some point, a hose was being forced down her throat. She gagged violently, but could not stop the alien substance from being poured down her stomach. She escaped into unconsciousness.

The forest at D'Qar appeared, but she was no longer there. Luke and Leia stood on the small forest path where she had wandered with Jecita. There were others. Poe, Trosh, Chewbacca and even Finn. They blinked away and the black star stood at the same spot. She reached her mind out to him and launched it with all the strength she had. Despite her efforts, he too faded and was replaced by an older man, dressed in robes similar to Luke's  
"Stay in the light at all times, Rey." He said. "If you stray it means death."

She woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat. The clothes were clinging to her skin. Something was cutting into her limbs, causing a dull pain in her neck, wrists and ankles.  
"You are awake."  
The voice was dark, carrying a distant rumbling with it, not unlike a thunderstorm.  
A cold shock went through her, making her limbs heavy with fear.  
She tried to move, even though she knew it was useless. Heavy shackles kept her in place against a hard surface.

Rey forced her eyelids to open, trying to see where the voice came from. For a moment everything was a blur. Then it came into focus.  
A pale, wiry creature stood over her, dark robes falling around its tall, ghostly appearance. Its eyes were black and laid sunken into a disfigured and scarred scull.  
Again, fear.  
This one was darkness as she had never before felt it. Its presence devoured all clarity, all hope. It contaminated her, invaded her and she felt physically sick from it.  
A sound escaped her lips as its gnarly, frosty fingers clenched her forehead.

"Rey Kenobi." It said. "You are the most valuable treasure in the galaxy."  
She averted her eyes, trying to get her fear under control.  
"You are wise to fear me." It continued. "But I have not brought you here to end your life."  
"I am not afraid to die." She whispered.  
"But you fear for the child."

She shut her eyes, trying to raise a steel wall to protect her mind. Its fingertips pressed deeper into her skull.  
"Oh, there is nothing you can hide from me." It drawled, bending closer. "Thinking you could sway my apprentice from his destiny, believing that he felt something for you. You have been fooled by your own pathetic desperation. He willingly left your fate in my hands."  
The knife was twisted in the wound, slowly and surely.  
He could not have done this to her. He _couldn't._

The creature's hand started to scrape down her body, landing like a huge, ugly spider at her stomach.  
"Make no mistake." It said. "You are here to be bred. Once this fetus is fully developed, it will be reared and nurtured with the dark side and rise to become one of its greatest lords."  
The blood froze in her veins. All the hostile replies that waited on her tongue crumbled. This was no longer only about her life.  
"If it would please you," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady, "I would serve you loyally for as long as I live, in exchange for the child."  
"Oh, you will serve me loyally. You will bear more children after this one. My knights will gladly oblige. You are pleasing to their eyes and you are still young. In time, provided I have your absolute obedience, you will be trained to join the Order of the Ren."

She bit her lip hard not to let despair get the upper hand. There had to be a way out of this. Luke would surely come.  
The pale, scarred creature made a sound that could be interpreted as a low, menacing laughter.  
"Your master does not know where I reside, nor will he ever. My powers are far greater than his. You are completely at my mercy, former Padawan."  
It was too horrible even for tears. And now something was seeping from his fingertips, thin strings of dark energy moving through her skin and into her belly.

"No!" She protested, trying to use the force to push it out.  
"Do not resist me, or I will crush this child in the womb. It might set my plans back three months, but it will be an acceptable price to teach you a valuable lesson. There are at least three force users here, ready to inseminate you once more. As for the strongest possible effect, I am certain of Kylo Ren's compliance in the matter."  
Rey pinched her eyes together hard, trembling from the effort to keep the sour liquid down that emerged in her throat. The creature's threat was efficient. She stopped resisting him and tried to move into her center, into the light she always found there. It seemed so far away.

"Please." She breathed, her voice shaking. "I will do everything you say."  
"I know you will." It replied distractedly, its black eyes half closed in concentration. "Yes… this one will be strong. I feel it already."  
She knew the black force the creature sent into her was mingling with her blood, feeding her unborn child something polluted, something stinking of hate and death. Her cheeks got wet with tears.  
Could her black star have done this, leaving her to his master out of spite?  
Where was he?

 **xxx**

Kylo Ren was nearly a two hours walk away from the rebel base when it happened.  
The mature thing to do would have been to walk directly to the ship and contemplate the meeting with Rey, finding new angles and arguments to the conflict that he could convince her with. Instead, the trees looked as if a bomb had gone off where he stood.  
He had just retracted his lightsaber, catching his breath in the middle of the outburst, when the air trembled and his vision darkened.

There was a sharp pain in the back of his head. The shape closing in was very familiar. He had trained this one himself in the dark arts. The chains burned into the skin as the one ensnared was plunged into unconsciousness. Then somebody _kissed_ her.  
He blinked several times. The ruined trees came into focus again.  
They had Rey.

He gathered all rage he had and shot it towards his knights, wherever they were, aiming to burn their brains into agonizing madness. He was blocked so powerfully and thoroughly that it was more than obvious who was behind the shield. Also, there was only one other being that the Knights of Ren obeyed except for himself.  
Fueled by an entirely different kind of fury he started to run towards the rebel base, knowing that he would never reach them in time before they left the planet. His ship was far away and there was no time to lose.

Why had she left the base? Had she gone looking for him despite the danger?  
Her mind was painfully blocked from him, either by unconsciousness or intent.  
Whatever happened to her now would be on him.

He had known better than to show up unannounced in her room, disturbing the routines she needed to stay safe. She was hardly defenseless, but he had sensed enough from her to know that he could disrupt her world as easily as she could disrupt his. What in the world had he been thinking?  
Even though he knew she was alive, there were no guarantees at all that it would stay that way. For all he knew, Snoke might have sent for her only to finish the task himself, making sure there would be no mistakes.

Staying out of sight from the guards around the rebel base, he decided to steal the fastest ship he could find. The more time he could save the better and his own ship was still an hour away.  
Putting some of the guards to sleep and using his powers for concealment was the easy part. But once he entered the modest docking bay, an unexpected obstacle emerged. The kind of ship he was looking for stood ready to board. The only problem was that the Skywalker twins stood right in front of it, engaged in a grave conversation. He dodged behind another ship immediately, using the full extent of the force to remain hidden from them. A family reunion was the last thing he desired.

It was almost too late. His mother was already looking in his direction.  
There was really no time for this. Why would they have to stand in front of this ship?  
It was not exactly easy seeing Leia either. Rey had been right and how he had hated her for it.  
"I felt something." Leia said.  
His uncle, the cursed Jedi Master, nodded and looked in his direction too.  
Then they looked at each other. Leia embraced Luke and whispered something to him in such a low voice Ren could not pick it up. She left after that and Luke remained by the ship.

Luke was the only one in the galaxy he had no wish to confront. His uncle had defeated Darth Vader in a duel single-handedly, making him one of the greatest duelists in the history of the galaxy. On the other hand, this was about Rey.  
Time was running out. He removed the lightsaber form the belt and held his finger at the activation button.  
He had to get to that ship.

 **xxx**

"You are to be brought to the throne." A female voice said.  
Rey moved her head with difficulty to catch a glimpse of the speaker. She had been left chained to this table in the corner of a dark throne room and the one on the throne was not present. Instead, a dark robed woman stood over her with red hair in numerous thin braids over her scalp. The leather armor covering her torso was worn from many past fights and the two lightsabers in her belt bore witness to her knowledge of the force. She would have been beautiful, had it not been for the yellow-veined eyes revealing a journey far into the dark realms.

The woman removed one of her gloves and gripped Rey's jaw harshly, her short, hard nails cutting into the flesh.  
"Oh, you think you are special." She said silkily. "It would have been cute, had it not been so pathetically stupid."  
Rey looked into her eyes. There was too much contempt to be reasonable from a stranger. Then she saw it.  
This woman has a past with Ren.

There was unhealthy passion, raging jealousy with possessiveness and a searing hatred against her. There had been a passionate affair; battles and murder followed by dark intimacy. They were younger then. It was also evident that this woman had made herself barren at will.  
A hard blow under her ribs made Rey break the prying and scream.  
"You can still lose that child." The woman said. "I will be right here watching while my master let the others rape you to compensate the loss."

Rey did not answer. She gasped for breath and tried to handle the pain, making sure the life inside her was alright.  
"Are you healing yourself? Fascinating."  
Another hard punch in the stomach.  
Again, Rey screamed. She struggled to stay with the serene part of the force where she could still heal. It made it impossible to attack the woman back.  
"You know," The red head whispered, "I could just reach out with my powers and make it shrivel and die inside you. Come to think of it, it would really please me to see you get used like the whore you are."

"Keira?"  
A male voice. Another force user stood nearby, this one with a black helmet on that covered most of his face.  
"The Supreme Master will be back shortly. Get it done."  
The female named Keira stuck a needle into Rey's arm with no warning. The world started to spin and dissolve in white mist. Her chains were loosened with rough hands and she was dragged over the cold stone floor and dropped on the few stairs leading up to the throne.

A clever thing, this drug. It was nearly impossible to focus enough to use the force or control her limbs. New shackles were added to her wrists, neck and ankles. Her hands were tied behind her back, but she was still free to move her feet, having one shackle on each ankle. There were no chains connected. Instead, the shackles were activated to limit her movements.  
Rey was still too dizzy to rise, but as soon as she could, she would to try the limit of the shackles. Her survival instincts had kicked in and the hard armor she always wore on Jakku was back. They would not get to her this easily.

The two force users, whom had to be the renowned Knights of Ren, positioned themselves on each side of her. She tried to keep her eyes open not to drift off, fighting to focus on the mind of the male knight.  
She sensed a strong loyalty towards Ren, but this one had no idea what had really happened between Rey and his master. He figured that Ren had raped her while she was imprisoned, perhaps under order from the Supreme Leader. Keira on the other hand had sensed differently. But what did the male know about the place she was in? What planet was she on and how could she outsmart the security around her?

A kick in the jaw stopped her attempts to gain more information.  
Keira grabbed her hair and jerked her head up, forcing her up on her knees.  
"You really shouldn't have tried that." She hissed din Rey's ear.

Another kick came straight into her stomach with such force, Rey lost her breath. The pain was engulfing and ominous. Something inside broke and bled, causing sharp cramps. All focus was sent down to prevent the worst. Her mind wanted to fly in all directions from the drug and the pain, but she could not afford to fail this healing. Then the woman's mind entered hers, pushing her back and preventing any attempts to mend the damage.  
"Please!" Rey pressed out, tears spilling out uncontrollably. "Don't do this!"

"Take it easy." The male knight reproached his colleague. "She's supposed to stay fertile for quite a while."  
"Don't worry about that." Keira said. "You are strong with the force. Your seed could do nearly as well as Ren's. You find her attractive, don't you? We are free to punish her for any disobedience, including taking this first child away from her."  
"Only if absolutely necessary." He replied. "The Supreme Leader would not like it."  
"Please…!" Rey gasped, feeling blood trickling out between her legs.  
"Then we'll compensate immediately. You could take her now, before our leader returns. I'll help you."

Keira started to pull at Rey's clothes, ripping her shirt and vest open.  
"I bet she likes it." Keira continued. "She is young and inexperienced. She would love to get more of the darkness inside her."  
Rey felt he male knight's eyes on her, felt his awoken interest as she struggled not to pass out from the pain.  
"No." She roared. "No!"  
The male night started to pull her pants down. She tried to kick him off, but could hardly move her legs.

One of them hit her face hard. Keira's sharp nails dug into her skin, clawing deeply down her body, ripping into her neck and breast.  
In panic, Rey tried to gather what she felt into an attack, pushing them off with the force. The male knight punched her in the face then. As the white oblivion started to embrace her, she heard the monster's voice somewhere further away.  
"Save it." It said. "I have matters to attend to with her."  
She was out.

 **xxx**

Kylo Ren marched through the long dark corridor at a considerable speed. There were guards by the walls every few feet, so appearances were at the essence if he was to pull this off. His master had not denied him an audience, even if it had come unannounced. He was certain that the Supreme leader already knew why he was there. He was also certain that Rey was still alive, but every second passing hung in uncertainty about her fate.  
Before entering the hall where Snoke was, he anchored himself firmly in the darkest part of his core, making certain that no part of his thoughts or intentions would be read. No matter what he saw in there, he had to remain unmoved.

The task proved extraordinarily difficult as soon as he passed the threshold. Keeping his eyes fixed on his master, he noted Rey in the corner of his eye, sitting beside the throne in shackles. She was deadly pale and had bruises and claw marks on her face and neck. Her clothes were damaged and negligently adjusted on her. Her eyes were closed as she leaned against the throne, but they opened when he entered.  
It was as if somebody had forced him to swallow a burning stone.

His knights Keira and Jekk stood on each side of the room, as if on guard duty. They bowed their heads to him.  
He walked up to the throne and kneeled in reverence for The Supreme Leader.  
Snoke nodded approvingly.  
"Rise, my apprentice." Snoke said. "I did not expect you back so soon."  
"Master." Ren said, standing up. "I am here to discuss the formalities about my former pet Padawan."  
"Yes." Snoke replied. "I see it now. The connection between you is indeed strong. I would say that your judgement is poor when it comes to this girl. But no matter. I was about to send for you anyway."

Snoke rose from his throne and towered over Ren with his full seven feet. He gestured fleetingly towards Rey, who still did not move. Her eyes were fixed on Ren.  
"The girl's burden might be damaged beyond repair." He said. "A mere consequence of her disobedience. Should it die, I shall need you to breed her once more, making sure we get the strongest blood in our future acolytes."  
Another burning stone, this time bigger, was forced down his throat.

"Yes Master." Ren nodded. "My connection to her might prove useful to assess the condition of the fetus."  
Snoke gave him a nod in consent.  
Walking up to Rey with a mask of indifference was the hardest thing Ren had ever done. She looked him in the eyes as he gripped her chin and tipped her head up, searching her mind. He was flooded with a series of images and emotions that made him withdraw his hand immediately. Her words appeared clearly in his mind.  
 _Was this how you imagined me? Chained to a throne?_  
His fingers twitched slightly and he curled them into a fist.

He calmly turned to Snoke.  
"You are keeping the fetus alive artificially." Ren observed.  
"For now." Snoke said. "But we are no healers. It may be nothing but an animated corpse. It might be for the best to simply restart the conception."  
"Perhaps." Ren said thoughtfully. "Regardless of the details, I came here to negotiate the particulars of the future training of my offspring, as well as the possession of the girl."  
Snoke floated down the few steps from his throne and gestured for Ren to walk with him.

"You liked having her as your slave." Snoke said. "I can sense the recent training you received has improved your focus greatly. It is now rightfully on your own desires, with complete disregard for hers. Very good."  
Ren felt a stirring from Rey behind him, a descent deeper into despair.

Snoke had his back to the throne now, scanning Ren for weaknesses.  
"Would you remain this devoted to the darkness with her constantly around, I wonder?" Snoke said. "Also, removing her from my citadel will be out of the question. This is the one place Luke Skywalker and his tiresome followers will never be able to find."  
"Actually," Ren said; his voice still calm and distant, "Luke Skywalker knows where to find you."

A familiar sizzling noise came from behind. A lightsaber cutting through metal.  
Snoke spun around.  
Luke Skywalker stood materialized by the throne, his green lightsaber held in battle position. Rey was free from the shackles and held another lightsaber in her hand, trying to rise from the floor.  
"Snoke." Luke Skywalker said, his voice calm despite the wrath surging through it. "We meet at last."


	14. Blood

Ren ignited his lightsaber and swung it towards his master faster than he could think.  
He knew it was a mistake. Luke was supposed to handle Snoke. It was just impossible to keep the anger inside anymore.

Not only did Snoke block him with his own lightsaber; a strong force push sent Ren crashing against the wall fifty feet away. Had he not resisted it with his own powers, he would have been crushed. He still hit the wall hard enough to drop the lightsaber and get completely thrown off balance.  
Falling to the floor, he felt a deadly pressure against his throat.

His fingers clawed at the throat in a meaningless struggle for air. Red and black spots grew bigger in front of his eyes. A loud noise was heard; the sound of two lightsabers clashing. Moments later he could breathe again.  
Ren stumbled to his feet and reached out for the lightsaber. It shot to his hand obediently, just as he regained his sight enough to see his two knights run towards Rey.

He started to run himself, knowing he was too far away to intercept them. Keira was the dangerous one, so he used the force to immobilize her.  
Jekk moved in on Rey fast and Ren noted with dread how Rey ignored the male knight completely. Instead, she marched towards Keira with gritted teeth.  
Cursing under his breath, Ren had to release Keira in order to stop Jekk from striking Rey in the back.  
Keira's two lightsabers blocked Rey's furious attack at the last moment.

"Rey!" He shouted at her, his voice still hoarse from the force choke.  
There was no time to deal with Jekk.  
Keira went into a fierce counter attack with both lightsabers and Rey was forced back several steps, stumbling from the strong blows.

Jekk started to resist Ren's paralyzing, but just as Ren was about to throw him into a pillar nearby, a huge stone table came flying towards them. Ren had to throw himself to the floor to dodge it. The table crashed beside him with an ear-deafening rumbling. The two masters of the force were attacking each other by other means than just fending.

The breach of concentration got Jekk loose and he approached Ren slowly, in confusion and disbelief.  
Ren was quickly on his feet, dodging the half-hearted attack from Jekk. This time the desperation to reach Rey was so strong, Ren could use it to throw Jekk away and into a pillar as he had intended.

Running the last distance towards Rey, he watched in amazement as she put up an impressive fight against Keira. He had never seen Rey that livid, with that much pure anger and hatred in every move. She was using the dark side of the force like an experienced Sith Lord.  
The sight was surprisingly sinister.  
"Get back!" He called as he drew nearer.

Rey ignored him. She was possessed, channeling the force perfectly to stay sharp and quick despite the bad shape she was in. She drew upon the pain to gain strength, as he had once told her to do.  
The lightsabers collided repeatedly at great speed in a rain of red and blue sparks. All he could do was to attack Keira from the side, hoping he could separate them somehow.

"You!" Keira screamed at him, expertly blocking his attack with one lightsaber while holding Rey off with the other. "You wretched _traitor!_ "  
Keira took a great leap backwards to get at a distance from them both.  
Rey charged without hesitation. Ren managed to get a grip of her jacket at the last moment, pulling her back.

"I said, stop!" He barked. "I'll handle it!"  
"It was _her!_ " Rey shouted. _"She killed our son!"  
_ For a moment, the ground moved under his feet. He almost reeled.  
"I am _helping_ you!" Keira called to Ren. "You're getting weak! They've corrupted you!"

The anger seemed to transform into a boundless emptiness. A simple clarity descended over him, a hatred so pure and white it left no room for anything else than absolute focus.  
"You should not have done it." He said quietly.  
Surprisingly calm, he retracted the blade on his lightsaber and reached his hand out towards Keira.  
She raised her own hand immediately, ready to block anything he might throw at her.

He gripped Rey's free hand.  
"Add your power to mine." He said.  
Keira chose not to stand still another second. She ran towards them and swung both lightsabers in deadly arches.

It was too late.  
A wave of energy surged from Rey and pushed his own power forward with more force than ever before. Keira was struck down and landed immobilized on the floor, her face frozen in a mask of terror.  
Rey let go of his hand and was about to wield her lightsaber against the body on the floor when he caught her arm.  
"Leave it!" he said. "She's dead."  
"I want to make sure!"  
"Rey, stop!"

Suddenly Rey's powers shot against him and he was sent flying into the wall a second time.  
"Was it you?!" She yelled at him. "Did you hand me over to your master?!"  
"Of course not!" he yelled back. "I told you to stay close to Luke!"  
It would not be impossible to resist her strength to keep him nailed, but fighting her was the last thing any of them needed. He recognized this kind of anger all too well.

"Will you tell Luke afterwards that this one caused your fall to the dark side?" he argued. "That they actually defeated you?"  
There was a subtle shift in her eyes. Her hand started to tremble.  
"The force." He said, trying to sound calm despite his own fury. "Go to the light. If you still want to chop her into pieces after that, I'll let you."  
It had effect. She lowered her hand and released him, her dark eyes wide with horror and despair.

"Ben…!" She breathed. "I'm so sorry…!"  
This was not the time or the place to correct her.  
Instead he closed the space between them and crushed her in a fervent embrace. There was guilt radiating from her, reminding him uncomfortably of something akin to it in himself. There was no time to dwell on it.  
At that same second, more trouble arrived.

The guards outside had noticed something was off and was swarming into the room. Those were elite troops, carefully hand-picked from the best the First Order had to offer and sent to special training under Snoke. They were not force users, but the number of blasters firing at them could easily become uncomfortable.

 _"Destroy them!"_ Snoke's thundering voice commanded the guards.  
Ren and Rey quickly dodged behind a pillar.  
"We have to keep the guards away from Luke!" Rey said.  
Ren nodded slowly, but the darkest part of him had made other plans.

If Snoke and Luke fought, the survivor would probably be wounded and spent enough to be finished off easily. When this day was over, he could stand as the strongest force user alive, taking over the throne from Snoke.  
Then again, Luke might be his last hope of healing Rey; to save what he had felt inside her. A son, she had said. They were having a son. He had to believe there was still time.

Luke and Snoke were fighting furiously at the stairs up to the throne. They had wrecked half of the interiors already and the speed and skill at which they used their weapons would have been absolutely captivating, had it not been for the seriousness of the situation.  
"The wrecked table." Rey said.  
He understood and started to force throw the debris at the guards while Rey blocked shots coming towards them with her lightsaber.

The anger towards Keira was far from emptied and the stones and metal pieces he threw at the guards literally caused a blood bath. He could sense Rey's silent fury accepting and supporting what he did. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? To have her on his side of the force; to make her rule beside him? Then why was her darkness so unsettling? Why had he tried to turn her towards the light again?

The guards had just about been handled when the hall lit up in white and blue flashes, followed by loud thunder claps.  
Snoke was using ancient powers against Luke, the same ones that his uncle had once been subjected to in Darth Sidious' grasp.  
Ren aborted his attack on the guards momentarily and stepped back behind the pillar again, dragging Rey with him.

Luke held a force shield against Snoke, but it was trembling. Veins of deadly lightning shot from Snoke's hands and through the invisible barrier, sending Luke to the ground in cramps.  
"No!" Rey screamed.  
Luke fought to uphold the shield, but he was trembling from the damage the lightning had done.

Rey took Ren's hand suddenly.  
"I am going to help him." She said. "This time, _you_ lend me your powers."  
She was not asking. The infinite anger inside streamed through him and into her hand. He concentrated to let it happen, knowing that they would be chanceless if Luke died.

Luke's shield stabilized before them. The old Jedi master could rise from the floor and ignite his lightsaber again.  
With a cry of frustration, Snoke made a quick gesture towards them.  
Rey pulled her hand away quickly. For a moment he did not understand what had happened. Then he saw Rey go down on her knees, holding her stomach with a grimace of intense pain.

The white burning clarity took over, making him ignite his lightsaber and charge Snoke at full speed.  
"Treacherous weakling!" Snoke bellowed.  
The lightning bolts caught Ren, turning his whole world into blinding pain.  
 _This is how Vader fell._

The humming of a lightsaber came from somewhere. There was a lot of noise, but he was not sure it was real. When his vision returned, his joints still made involuntarily spasms. It hurt absolutely everywhere. There was a smell of burnt flesh and blood in his nostrils. His heart was working way too fast.  
When he could finally control his movements, he turned to his stomach with great effort and tried to fix his gaze at something.  
Where was Rey?

Slowly, they came into focus.  
Luke was sitting with Rey in his arms, holding a hand at her belly as she lay lifeless against his shoulder.  
He tried to shape the word emno/em, but only a hoarse sound came out.  
Dragging himself up, he stumbled forward and fell to his knees before them, reaching for Rey. He felt the glow of Luke's power immediately, felt how he worked on Rey in deep concentration.

Not knowing what else to do, he carefully put his hand at her stomach above Luke's, trying to tune in to what his uncle did. He could not connect his powers to Luke's the way he could to Rey's, but somehow he hoped that it would make some difference that he tried. That he wanted to help. He focused on the light he had tried to avoid for so long, finding hardly a slit of a gate that he could use to channel it.

Then Rey's hand fell feebly on his. She was cold, but he could feel their connection return. He put his other hand over hers, sending all power he could to her.  
Every breath he took lasted a thousand years.  
Finally, Luke opened his eyes and looked at him.  
"It is done." He said.

Rey was barely conscious, but her hands still searched for him. Luke allowed him to take her into his arms and hold her. She put a hand over his heart and exhaled slowly.  
Ren had not wasted many words on his uncle since they boarded the same ship together, but he could find no shields of resentment at this moment.  
"Is…she still…?" he began.  
"Your child lives." Luke said. "But to what price I cannot say."

He held Rey closer then and buried his face in her hair. For the first time since he was a child he wanted to cry, but he seemed to have forgotten how to produce any tears.  
Then he remembered and looked up.

"What about Snoke?" He asked.  
Luke's face was frozen in the same grave mask as he rose to his feet.  
"He evaporated into smoke when I struck him down." Luke said.  
"No!" Ren said sharply, unable to stifle a cough. "It means he is…"  
"Yes. I know." Luke said calmly. "But it will take time to recover from the blow I gave him."

Ren found he lacked power to argue. He was still in great pain and Luke seemed no better off, even though his uncle's wounds were partly healed.  
Rey stirred and opened her eyes to look at him. He forgot all about Luke in an instant.  
"Ben." She whispered, her gaze filled with silent admiration. "You brought Luke with you."  
"Yes. It was insufferable, being on the same ship for days." He murmured. "It will never happen again, so stay out of trouble."  
"Are you taking a different ship out of here?" Luke asked coldly.  
Ren glared at him. The resentment was definitely back.

Rey touched his cheek with a trembling hand.  
"Are you coming with me?" She asked.  
"As it is, I am out of options at the moment." He said. "If you would not mind, perhaps we could sleep at the same place for now."  
She took a deep breath in relief and stroked his cheek with her fingers.

"You look terrible." She said. "You're bleeding and there are burns all over you. You need to rest."  
"Rey." he began. "I am no different. I will never be a Jedi…"  
"We should move to the ship quickly." Luke interrupted him. "There are others coming."  
Regardless of the unwanted interruption, it was a good idea. Ren carefully helped Rey to her feet and asked Luke to support her while he checked on something.

Luke headed for the door with his arm around Rey, Ren walked up to Keira's lifeless body and bent down over her.  
"You probably wonder how long you're going to be stuck like this." He whispered. "The thing is, you will rot slowly from within and all the essential centers in your brain are cut off. You will never again move, but you will feel everything as your body fails you, bit by agonizing bit. It will take days. If I had it my way, it would be years."  
Then he straightened up and walked to the next knight.

Jekk was still unconscious on the floor, a small trickle of blood coming from his head. The blow against the pillar had been hard. This one had not resisted him out of unwavering loyalty. Since the days of the Jedi Academy, Jekk had been his most steadfast supporter; someone he could take for granted like a brother.  
Ren squatted down and put his hand over Jekk's forehead. Images flickered by of Jekk assisting in capturing Rey. Then trying to save Rey from Keira.

Then pulling Rey's pants off and forcing his fingers into her, intending to rape her.  
Ren rose and ignited his lightsaber. Making sure Luke and Rey was out the door, he aimed and separated Jekk's hands and head from his body.  
Then, without looking back, he caught up with the others.

 **xxx**

The way back to D'Qar would take days.  
The first day was spent sleeping, with the ship on auto-pilot.  
Rey felt strangely numb. She did not want to be too far from Ren and at the same time, she did not know how to be close to him.

The guilt inside was eating her alive. She knew very well how much he had sacrificed for her and she wanted to do everything for him to show her gratitude. Even so, she flinched from his touch as he tried to help her change clothes. She locked herself into the toilet when she undressed and the only way he was allowed to hold her while they slept was with her clothes fully on while she was swept in a blanket.

He did not question her behavior. His hands only touched her face and her hair softly to calm her when she woke up from a nightmare.  
She knew her black star was deep into troubled thoughts. Sometimes, when his frown was unusually serious, she kissed his forehead and held a reassuring hand on his cheek.

The second day on the ship, they were all awake for shorter periods at a time. They were all in need of medical attention, but for now they had to do with the ship's equipment. Rey had insisted on wiping the nose bleed away from Ren's face and heal the wound in his head from the heavy crash into the wall. Even though there were still clawings and bruises left, she felt physically restored from Luke's healing and had the energy for it. Instead, there was something missing inside her. When she touched her stomach she could not seem to connect with her child, even though she knew it was alive. In fact, she could not connect to anyone around her the way she was used to.

The ship was small, so there was not much hope to be left alone and for the first time ever, she actually desired solitude.  
Rey also started to understand what Ren had meant when he called the trip with Luke insufferable. The tension and resentment between the two filled the ship with its awkward silence. If they spoke at all, it was only about matters concerning the journey. Even then, short comments with stinging edges were exchanged.  
It was obvious that Ren dreaded the end of the journey, even though he said nothing about it.

On the third day, Rey sat curled up in a bunk beside Ren, wrapped in her soothing blanket. Luke was sitting at the pilot's seat with his back to them, checking the control panels.  
Rey felt the rising panic within Ren and leaned her head against his shoulder, taking hold of his hand.  
"You realize," he whispered to her, "that I cannot enter the rebel base?"  
She squeezed his hand gently.

"You saved me and betrayed Snoke, putting your own life at risk. And I know your mother would die to see you just once more."  
"I have also ordered the executions of or directly killed more rebels than I can count. And I would do it again."  
Rey turned her head and stared at him, frowning.  
"Why would you say that?"

"You think this was an unselfish act. It wasn't. I betrayed Snoke because he turned against you, not because my ideology changed. Even if I would be welcome among the rebels despite all odds, I will share neither their struggle nor their convictions."  
"You can be compassionate." She said. "I have felt it. You are not all darkness."  
"I still cannot go to the rebel base."  
There was a squeak as Luke shifted in the pilot's chair.

"Not even for her and your unborn son?" Luke asked distantly.  
Ren's hand twitched. She felt his explosive fury rise and fall back.  
"You know I am right." Ren said a little louder, addressing Luke.  
"I know that you have caused enough pain to last for many lifetimes." Luke replied. "Perhaps you should consider thinking about someone else than yourself for a change."

Ren rose to his feet, clenching his fists as he glared at his uncle, who gazed back at him steadily.  
"And then what?" He asked. "Should I sit back with all this power and potential and let everything go? That kind of attitude has only made you weak. You cannot even…"  
"…notice when you sneak into the base to visit Rey?" Luke said.  
Rey let out a small gasp. Her face started to burn and she held the blanket up over her mouth.

When Ren hesitated to answer, Luke continued in the same calm but merciless voice.  
"I suppose you thought it was a coincidence that a ship was ready for you just as you needed it and that I just happened to stand there, forcing you out of the shadows to speak to me? If you were not so preoccupied with your own glorious advancements, you would not underestimate those around you so easily."  
"I am powerful enough!" Ren spat, his voice brimming with hurt pride. "I could have stayed and exclaimed myself as the new Supreme Leader of the Order! I still can. One day, I will."

Rey flew up from the bunk and threw the blanket off.  
"You are unbelievable!" She exclaimed. "You know what? You owe me two weeks at an enemy camp and you better pay at least those back! And I can see that the tip-toing around your real name does not do you any good. From now on I am calling you Ben and you better deal with it, you egocentric, delusional luggabeast!"  
With that, she walked into the toilet and slammed the door hard behind her. Sinking down to the floor, she put her head in her hands and tried to cry. No tears would come.

In a few moments, she heard him knocking quietly on the door.  
"Rey? Come out."  
"Why should I?" She snapped.  
"Because I am asking you."  
"You're used to that, aren't you? Ordering everyone around, having things you way?"  
"I am not ordering you. I am asking!"  
"You are already planning on leaving me! How can I trust you?"  
"I am not leaving. Would you please open the door?"

She rose and opened the door slightly, glaring at him through a narrow crack.  
"So what then, Ben?" She said. "You'll stay for two weeks and then you'll kidnap me as you head for the dark throne? Will I still be chained to it?"  
"I shouldn't have said that."  
"No, you shouldn't."  
His eyes were burning, but it was more out of desperation than anger.

She suddenly realized how terrified he was. He was heading to a place where everyone had at least one bitter score to settle with him. All his allies were gone and his mother's judgement waited as he arrived. He would be confronted with the murder on his father.  
All this, without knowing where he belonged anymore.

Rey softened, stepped out of the toilet and put her arms gently around him.  
"You will not be alone." She said. "If they don't like it, we'll go somewhere else."  
"Where would that be?" He replied in a gentle whisper, embracing her back. "You need to have Luke close as long as Snoke is out there."  
"Then we'll bring Luke."  
"Was that supposed to be comforting?"  
"I didn't say it would be easy." She replied. "But at least we won't be bored."

He sighed and held her harder. An unexpected discomfort rose in her. She broke the embrace and turned away from him.  
"I need to be alone for a little while." She said. "Would you mind?"  
He did not answer. She knew he could sense that something was off with her.  
"Rey…" He began.  
"No! No. I just need some space."  
He nodded and moved away reluctantly.

She sank down against the wall and took the lightsaber out, opening it up to take one piece out at a time. She put every little part beside each other in perfect order on the floor.  
Ben had been right from the start.  
They would never be safe for as long as they lived and especially not their son.

Snoke and the First Order was still a threat, as was anyone in the galaxy with ambitions. Ben had a point in wanting to get to the absolute top in order to wield undefeatable power against anyone opposing them.  
He was already known and dreaded across the galaxy as an evil overlord and now she was bringing him to his most devoted enemies. What if they tried to kill him?

For how long would he stand D'Qar or put up with her rejection to intimacy?  
Rey took the crystal out from the lightsaber and turned it in her hand.  
Soon she would find out.


	15. Time Out

**Greetings!  
** **This chapter will be an interlude before the plot starts rolling again. It felt necessary to squeeze this in somehow.  
** **There will be a lot of Rey and Ben in this one. Once more, I cannot thank you enough for your support through reviews, following, clicking favorite and generally reading and sticking to the story. It is such a reward every time a chapter is finished. THANK YOU SO MUCH!  
** **May the force be with you. Always.**

Rey woke up with the bitter taste of a dark dream lingering in her mouth.  
He was sitting beside her on the bed, holding his hand gently against her cheek.  
She rubbed her eyes and looked at him, warm and dizzy from sleeping in her clothes.

"Have we arrived?" She asked.  
"Not yet."  
"But the ship is standing still."  
His gaze was unreadable.  
She sat up slowly. Her whole body felt heavy and exhausted.  
"Luke is leaving us here for now." He said. "He will pick us up later, once he has announced our…my…arrival to the general."

Did he mean Leia?  
"But- where are we?"  
"We are on D'Qar. Just not too close to the rebel base."  
He swept a strand of hair from her brow. Then he rose and grabbed a military equipment bag, flashing a quick smirk towards her before turning serious again.  
"Come." He said. "You can use the air."  
She sighed and rose reluctantly.

"I'm too tired." She groaned.  
Luke stepped out from the cockpit, giving her a mildly concerned look.  
"Ben is right." He said. "You need the air."  
She looked from one to the other. Had they conspired against her while she slept?  
"Well, since you have already decided." She murmured.

Grabbing her jacket in one hand and her weapon's belt in the other, she turned to the door and walked out.  
The sun struck her eyes like needles. She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked around. They had landed in a huge glade. The wind brought the familiar smell of green leaves with it. She needed only one breath to know she was home. Ben stood behind her, allowing her to have the moment before she stepped down from the ramp.  
They went to the edge of the glade and watched Luke take off in the ship.

"So, now what?" Rey said, turning to Ben.  
"Now you come with me." He said, holding his hand out.  
She glared suspiciously at it.  
"I can walk without holding anyone's hand." She said.  
He raised an eyebrow.  
"When they write their chronicles about you," he said. "A shudder will go through the scholar as she records your horrible hunger temper."

Rey huffed, but took his hand.  
It felt good having his skin against hers. He was still like a dangerous drug. Only this time she kept a wall up to stay as safely unaffected as possible.  
They headed in among the trees, following a narrow, primitive trail.  
She quickly forgot to pout, as all life in the forest stole her attention. There were reptiles and birds squeaking and plants that grew so fast she could see them emerge from the earth and spread their vines. Every now and then, a small furry head looked up from a hole in the ground, chattering angrily at the intrusion.

It did not take long before she started to recognize the surroundings. Minutes after, they were standing at the edge of the glade.  
 _The_ glade.  
It looked exactly as when they left it. The cylindrical fireplace was still in the middle and to the right, the trees had still not recovered from Ben's outburst. They remained under the trees, since the sun brought an unusual heat with it.

"What are we _doing_ here?" She said in a low voice.  
He had a rare expression of sympathy in his eyes as he looked at her.  
"You like this place." He said.  
Then he let go of her hand and dropped the bag, seating himself beside it and pulling a food box out. He held it out to her.  
"Eat. You will feel better."

Rey hesitated. She did not like this. There was a subtext to this field trip that filled her with anxiety. What did he expect from her?  
When he persistently reached the food out to her and her stomach started to growl, she sighed and sat down with her legs crossed, pulling the box from his hand.  
He took another box out and they ate in silence.  
Rey finished the meal fast. She took her water bottle out and drank deeply from it.

He cleared his throat.  
"So," he said. "Our child needs a name. How about Vader Palpatine Sidious?"  
The water seemed to get stuck in the wrong throat. She coughed it out and stared at him.  
He smirked mischievously, reminding her eerily at this moment of Han Solo.

"You think this is amusing?" She said. "What if I suggested Yoda? Or Luke?"  
"I will not be reminded of my uncle every time I call my son's name."  
"For every dark lord you mention, I get a Jedi name." She said.  
"It should be a name connected to power."  
"It should be a name connected to our love for this child."

He put the empty box down on the grass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, not taking his eyes off her.  
"It should not be like this." He said.  
"What do you mean?"  
He leaned forward and stroked her hand gently. She silently cursed the tremor within that he caused. It was so comfortable remaining in this numb emptiness.

"I mean," he continued, "that we should be sitting in a place high above everything. The view should be spectacular and the food the best the galaxy would have to offer. You should have servants ready to attend your every wish."  
Rey lowered her gaze.  
When his hands cupped her cheeks, she closed her eyes, clenching her teeth.  
"You don't see it." He whispered. "Of course you don't."

His thumbs stroked her skin slowly, causing something dreadful inside to stir in its sleep.  
"You feel unclean." He said. "As if anything they did would reflect upon you."  
She winced.  
"Don't." She whispered.  
"And now you are crushed with guilt, because you believe that you could have stopped any of this from taking place based on the choices you made. You couldn't have."

Her whole body was so tense that her muscles ached. The tears were threatening to break free. She swallowed hard.  
"You don't know." She said, her voice trembling. "They told me what would happen if I…"  
"Nothing would have stopped their actions, no matter what you had done. I know them."  
"Ben, stop. I…"  
"I know them, because I trained them. If there is one thing I truly regret, it is this training."

A tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.  
"But I see it." She said. "I see the necessity of the dark side so clearly now."  
"Being unable to heal your wounds made me realize the necessity of the light side."  
He leaned in to embrace her and it was so difficult to resist. Still, she crossed her arms and went rigid, unable to respond to the gesture. If she gave in to this, he might go further.

"I can't." She said, avoiding his gaze.  
His words shot into her head then, clearly as if spoken aloud.  
 _I can't wait to reclaim you, little Jedi. But it will be your choice when and how._  
She laid her head on his shoulder without intending to, allowing him to draw her in and hold her close. A little of the pressure inside eased and a few more tears fell.

He sat back against a tree with her, brushing his fingers through her hair, caressing her neck with his thumb the way she loved so much.  
Gradually, she started to relax as his hands did not wander anywhere further down than her shoulders. Her whole head was tingling pleasantly from his touch, as if she was mildly drugged. She was about to nod off when his fingers touched the wounds on her neck.  
The nail marks Keira had made still gave off pulsating ache.

"Why do you not heal this?" he asked.  
"I need it." She murmured. "As a reminder."  
"Of what?"  
She did not answer. She knew exactly of what, but so far it had not been shaped into words. Should she even let him know?  
The fingers in her hair froze.

"It reminds you to trust no one." He said.  
"Get out of my head!" She snapped.  
"You can see yourself as a powerful warrior." He continued. "Always victorious, because you rely on both sides of the force… fighting the darkness with darkness. And you are counting on me to complete your training for the dark side."  
She pushed away from him and rose.

"Isn't that what you want?" She asked. "That we'll be together this way?"  
He hesitated for a moment.  
"Yes."  
"I will fulfill my duty to Luke, but as I do, I would need you to train me as well." She explained. "This way, I will know what to expect from anyone threatening me or my family. And then I can turn their powers against them if necessary."

Ben sighed deeply.  
"I hate it when Luke is right." He said.  
"Now this doesn't suit you suddenly?"  
He frowned at her.  
"You have no idea what it means to venture into the dark side, Rey." he argued. "You are not thinking clearly. You should sit down and meditate on this."  
"I don't feel like meditating."  
"Even dark lords meditate for insight."  
"Believe me, my eyes are open!"  
"Are they?"

Ben rose to his full height, his body language changing into that of a commander's. His gaze became knife sharp.  
"Despite all I have done to you, you were in agony when you had to strike me with the lightsaber back at the Hoth base." He said. "You could not gather up enough hatred to make the wounds serious enough."  
"Because it's _you_! That woman who made these," –she gestured to her neck- "I could have tortured her for a whole year without feeling any remorse."

He sneered.  
"You have no idea what you are saying."  
"Try me."  
"Keira did not die at Snoke's citadel." He said. "I left her frozen to die of slow putrefaction. She is still not dead. Sometimes I feel her pain. She reaches out to me every now and then, cursing, crying and begging. I ignore her."

Rey twitched involuntarily from his words. Something came to life inside of her, something dark and injured, a monster with a will of its own.  
"Good." She said, but her lips where trembling.  
"You do _not_ think that is good."  
"Do you love her?"

He blinked.  
"How can you even ask that?" he spat, his voice getting louder. "Would I be standing in this forsaken place if I did?"  
"Do you love anyone then?" She insisted, biting her lip as soon as she said it.  
"Why are you…"  
"You cannot say it, can you? Not even now. There is only us here and you cannot say it!"  
"Rey…"  
"Are you keeping me around to give you a child that you can corrupt? Or to fulfill your dark fantasies? Which is it?"  
"Rey!"

He moved close to her and grabbed her arms harshly. She made a surprised sound, ready to break free by violent means if necessary.  
"You are my whole world." He hissed. "I love you! Is that what you want to hear? Love is not a strong enough word for this."  
He released her and took a few steps away. All the intensity in his eyes turned into anger and frustration. His hand grabbed for the lightsaber at his belt, but pulled away and clenched into a fist. Rey could not move. She only watched as he paced back and forth. Something was breaking within her. Scourging pain filled her lungs. It got hard to breathe.

"Ben, I'm sorry." She said. "You almost died for me."  
The cursed tears came back and this time with a vengeance. She sat down, hugged her knees hard and broke into sobs.  
He stopped pacing and kneeled beside her immediately.  
" _You_ are sorry?" he said. "You might have the power to rise as a dark lord, Rey, but you will never have the ego for it."  
He took her into his arms again.

She tried to stop crying, but it took some time before she could breathe normally enough to speak.  
"What _are_ we doing here?" She finally asked. "Why did I not follow Luke back to the base?"  
"We thought it was a good idea to give you some peace and quiet first." He said.  
Her lips twisted into a smile and she gave a short laugh.  
"It's quiet here." She said. "I really like it."

He smiled back at her, the same rare smile she had once seen at Hoth. As usual, he became serious quickly. She touched his cheek with concern.  
"How are you holding up?" She asked.  
"Luke is fetching General Leia for a private meeting with me." He said bitterly. "So I am doing exceptionally well."  
She sat up on her knees and put her arms around his neck, caressing his hair gently, kissing his head repeatedly.

"Remember that no matter what she'll say, she loves you more than anything in the world." She whispered. "And so do I."  
He stroked her back and she let him do it, feeling less edgy.  
"I want to get clean." She said. "There is a small lake nearby. Would you mind?"  
"Let's go."

The mood turned awkward as soon as they reached the lake.  
They faced each other for a few tense seconds before he turned his back to her. She undressed quickly and dived into the protecting dark water. It was cold and purifying, bringing back the memories of early mornings when she had bathed here before meeting up with Luke in the glade. It could be like this again. Feeling lighter within seconds, she swam to the surface.  
Ben was removing his clothes with a bit less enthusiasm than she had.

"What are you doing?" She said anxiously.  
"I normally don't do lakes." He said. "But you have a point."  
She swam backwards a little, frowning.  
"I can restrain myself." He said. "I told you, nothing will happen."  
She nodded, averting her glance with hot cheeks as his wiry hard arms and legs unfolded from the robes. She adored that pale skin and loved how large his body was compared to hers.

He dove in and emerged directly in front of her. She was relieved that the water covered her up to her neck with its dark green color.  
"It's really cold." He said.  
She nodded and smiled at him nervously.  
"I wish I had other clothes with me." She said. "Those just stink of bad memories."  
He swam to the waterside, towards a big rock where she had put her clothes and swept everything down into the water.  
She yelped.

"You really _are_ evil!" She exclaimed. "Now I have nothing to wear!"  
"They will dry." He said with a smirk. "You can have my clothes. Also, there are blankets in the bag."  
"You could have asked!" She protested, splashing a huge amount of water at him.  
"You really do not care for injustice." He said. "Fair enough."  
With a quick force move, he swiped his own clothing into the water.  
"Ben!"

She gaped at him. What was he doing?  
"Just let me know how else I can please you." he said. "And I will."  
"You could get my clothes up from the bottom of this lake!"  
His smirk lingered as he swam in a circle around her.  
"As you wish." He said and disappeared under the surface.

She did not feel at ease with this at all. She followed him down, intending to bring the clothes up herself.  
As soon as she felt the cloth in her hand, he grabbed it as well, pulling at it and driving her nearly insane. They started to fight each other under the surface, the moves gentle but determined. As they returned up for air, the fight continued until she burst into laughter. Before she knew what she was doing, she used his hard grip around her jacket to pull closer and kissed him on the lips.  
He put his hand carefully at the small of her back and returned the kiss.

Rey could sense how much he restrained himself from doing anything else. His heart was beating frantically against her as she deepened the kiss, letting his tongue into her mouth. She caught fire from it unexpectedly, getting dizzy fast.  
Moving away from him, she kept her gaze locked to his. He was breathing as heavily as she did. It seemed he was puzzled, trying to read her intentions.

The sun came down through the leaves in a few spots around them. It lit up a large stone close to the lake, covered with thick light blue moss. She swam to it, climbed on top and lay down on her stomach to dry, sighing contently as she felt the sun on her skin. He followed and she allowed him to lie down beside her. Even though she had her eyes closed, Rey could feel him watching.  
She made a small, confirming sound as his fingers touched the nape of her neck. They traced along her back, returned to her neck and stroked her hair, getting her body into a lecherous state where it turned its full attention to his slightest move. The ugly and unnatural reservation against him was waning.

She rolled over to the side to face him. She was surprised to see him appalled for a second, before his face turned dark and his teeth clenched together.  
Her arm quickly flew up to cover the wound she had forgotten to hide, but it was too late. He had seen the extent of the clawing Keira had made, raking over her breast and down over her stomach. There were bruises from fingers and cuts from nails around her sex and on her inner thighs as well.  
He reached his hand out to the claw mark. It hovered close to her skin.

"Let me touch it." He said.  
"Never."  
She crossed her arms over her chest firmly.  
He opened his mouth to say something more, but closed it again. His hand cupped her cheek instead as he gave her a serious look.

She lowered her eyes and felt horribly ashamed, at a loss of what to do. A strong nausea rose in her throat. Suddenly she rolled away from him and threw up on the stone. He held the loose strands of her hair back gently until she had finished.  
"I'm sorry." She gasped. "I don't know what happened."  
"I do." He said. "Do not apologize to me about this, ever again."

It had never been as real as it was now.  
All the orders he had ever given, all his encouragement for how his knights had behaved against their enemies had now come back to bite him hard.  
He wondered if she understood that all the blame was on him.  
She held her back so straight as she walked back to the glade to get a blanket.

As he stayed to lift their clothes up from the water with the force, an entirely new kind of feeling overshadowed everything else. He might have felt it a long time ago when he was a child and he had touched upon it as his father fell from the bridge at Starkiller Base. But never like this. The guilt was so overwhelming it ate him up.  
How could he have been so wound up in his own situation that he had not seen hers clearly?  
Did he even have a situation compared to her?

Everything that came to him now was his own doing. His mother's pain that he would have to face, the hatred from the rebels, Rey's suffering.  
There was a lot to be held accounted for, but all he could think about was the marks on Rey's body.  
Walking back to her, he laid the clothes out to dry in the sun. Rey sat loosely swept in her blanket, resting in the shadow of the trees. She gave him a pale smile as he sat down beside her and wrapped a blanket around his waist. He did not know how to answer that smile. He deserved far worse than this.

"Are you cold?" he asked.  
"No." she said calmly, leaning against a tree and chewing on a straw of grass.  
A small spatter of freckles was once again visible on her face. Her beauty burned him.  
She was too young for everything he had subjected her to. Of all the things she deserved, it was certainly not this.  
"If Luke is not back until dusk, I will light a fire." He said. "I brought sleeping bags just in case. And there is more food if you want."  
Rey nodded. He felt insecurity from her, a fear of being judged for what she had been through.

"Did Luke ever tell you about your ancestors?" He asked. "About the Ben Kenobi I am named after?"  
She glanced at him.  
"He told me some things." She said. "He is planning to tell me a lot more about him in the future."  
He put his hand on her arm.  
"I have heard everything about him that anyone would ever want to know. If you like, I could tell you."  
"Now?"  
She looked a little surprised, but her genuine interest in the subject shone through.  
"Yes."

Her warm smile had a touch of gratitude to it. Why was she so undemanding?  
She moved closer to him with great care, as if to check if he would want to have her closer. If he had a heart it would probably break right now.  
He drew her in and embraced her, her sun-warmed skin impossibly tantalizing. He kissed her head tenderly and gave her time to curl up comfortably against him before starting the story.  
Caressing the nape of her neck, he started to speak. She made a content sigh and the guilt eased a little. At least there was something he could do to take her mind of the bad things.

* * *

The sun had set hours ago.  
They had moved out to the center of the glade where he had lit the fire. They used one of the sleeping bags as a mattress and had the other one wrapped around them. He was spooning her as she slept. He wondered if he would ever sleep again.  
She had put her tunic on as soon as it was dry, but at least he was allowed to touch her without a blanket between them.

If he could, he would go back in time and kill Keira and Jekk over and over again. The only reason he had not shut Keira completely out of his head whenever she reached out to him, was to make sure he would know when she died. He did not like loose ends and particularly not this one.  
The only problem was that their repeated deaths would probably do nothing to ease his guilt.

Rey slept with her fingers entwined in his. Even though his hand had fallen asleep a while ago he refused to move it.  
The pull to the light had never been as strong as now. Still, he felt nothing for anyone else that he had hurt. He was grateful for that. This newly awoken conscience had its hands full already.  
Luke had wanted them to meditate together, to give Rey some peace before the storm was over her. He was not the only one who should expect a hard time once they arrived at the base. And Rey had not even given herself one thought in this matter.

The distant humming of a shuttle interrupted his thoughts.  
"Rey." He whispered, kissing her temple. "They are coming."  
He rose reluctantly and got dressed and she followed his example shortly. They packed the bag in silence and headed back to the huge glade, hand in hand.  
He could feel Leia's presence on that shuttle and he clenched Rey's hand harder.  
Would he ever feel ready enough for this?

They arrived at the glade in time to see the shuttle sink to the ground expertly, the way only an experienced pilot could manage.  
The ramp came down and the doors slid open.  
It was suddenly hard to breathe. The small, but regal figure of his mother emerged in the doorway. Luke was close behind her, but Ben paid him no attention.  
Then everything was happening too fast.  
Rey squeezed his hand and embraced him reassuringly before joining Luke as they went inside the ship, leaving Ben alone with his mother under the night sky.


	16. Sleeping with the Enemy

**Hi!  
S** **orry about the delay! There's been a lot of work with my new book so it was such a reward to finally sit down and get to continue this story!  
** **To compensate you, this chapter is twice as long as most of the chapters. I hope you will enjoy it.  
** **Hope you had a great Star Wars-day yesterday! And today...beware of the revenge of the fifth!  
** **Much love!**

He did not expect the fear.  
Not even Snoke had brought this kind of instinct to run out of him. Though there was only vague lighting from the ship, he could see the lines in Leia's face. She had aged significantly since he last saw her. Then again, he was twelve when they had sent him away to Luke.

The air between them was so tense it almost vibrated. Her face showed an entire spectrum of feelings. Even so, her lips where frozen into a thin line and her dark eyes fixed on him, unblinking.  
He was the one who blinked first. He bit his lower lip. This was exactly why he had avoided her for all this time.  
Leia took a few steps towards him, until she was only an arm's length away. He was much taller than her, but the height difference did not matter.

His hands were trembling. This was a lot worse than meeting his father at the bridge.  
Leia had always understood him. She might not have chosen to go into active service for the force, but she was strong with it. Her senses were eerily attuned to everything around her. There had always been this connection between them; a bond that Han Solo had never quite understood. They had effortlessly communicated telepathically when he was a child and for some disturbing reason, he had never been able to fool her.  
And now, despite his titles, his training and his mastering of the dark arts, he was shaking in front of her.

"You have grown." She said.  
"Obviously." He replied. His voice was weak and unstable.  
Then she did it. She reached her hand out and touched his arm. He had a small start.  
"Ben." She whispered, shaking her head slowly. "What happened to you?"  
Why was everybody asking him that?

"Why do you want to know what happened?" He said. "You sent me away."  
He had not planned to let the words out with such bitterness. Her eyes widened.  
"Do you blame me for that?" She asked. "Don't you understand why we did it?"  
"It does not matter." He murmured, more hurt than he wanted to admit.  
"Your powers were growing, Ben. In all your innocent youth, you used them so carelessly. It killed me to see you go, but Luke was the only one who could help you."  
"That turned out really well."

The hard slap in his face came faster than expected. His cheek burned as he looked at her with wide eyes.  
"Do you refuse to take any responsibility for your own actions?" She said.  
"No." he whispered. He cleared his throat. "No." He repeated.  
"None of the things you did-" she said, "- the massacres, the battle operations or torturing-none of it was real to me until…" She cut the sentence off.  
There was no need for her to continue.

Blinking slowly, he lowered his head and stared at his feet.  
She took a deep breath.  
"Thank the maker." She breathed. "At least you feel remorse. Now I know you can be saved."  
He swallowed. Now was probably not the time to argue about different ideologies.  
"Oh, I can feel your devotion to the dark side is still strong." She said. "But I feel your devotion to her as well. Her light is inside you, as part of your own."  
He said nothing.

"So." She said. "Do you have something to tell me?"  
He looked up at her. Then he looked back at his feet. Then back at her again.  
"I wish things would have turned out differently." He said.  
"Your mind is completely open to me." Leia said sharply. "I know you are sorry for what you did. Can you not say it?"  
"I am sorry." He whispered between clenched teeth.

There was a lot he wanted to add. Let her know that Snoke had been the father figure Han had never been. That Snoke had been there when his parents had not. That Snoke had never sent him away for an indefinite time and never shut any doors for him when his powers grew too far into the forbidden territories of the force.  
Then again, Snoke had done unspeakable things to Rey.

Leia closed her eyes and a tear ran down her cheek before she looked at him again. He could no longer look back. Instead, he studied the roots of a tree further away.  
There were tears burning behind his eyelids as well, but they seemed frozen; too heavy to be let out.  
"What happens now?" he asked.

Leia regained some of her regal composure.  
"You will come back with us to the base. You cannot stay in the main building and for now you are to be treated as a prisoner."  
"What?"  
"Do not say a word!" She warned. "This is the best I can do at the moment. At least your family will stay in the same facilities as you."  
"You and Luke will be…"  
"Rey and your child, Ben! And yes, Luke."

His reaction must have shown. Leia huffed and gave him a reproaching look.  
"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? Between us, Ben, was this pregnancy of hers even planned?"  
"Mother!" he growled.  
His cheeks turned warm as soon as he had said the word. He would have preferred physical torture to this.  
"You are ten years older than her and you have not been isolated on a forsaken desert planet. You are supposed to know better." She scolded him.  
"I am not supposed to care." He murmured.

She cocked her eyebrows and raised a finger at him.  
"You better care! This girl is very infatuated with you and she has had her share of pain, mostly because of you. If you let her down, I will send Luke after you and it will not be to turn you. Do you understand?"  
"You do not have to tell me…"  
"Ben!"  
"Yes." He hissed quietly.  
This was a nightmare. He longed for Rey so much it burned, longed for her dark eyes and warm skin, her soft kisses and her affectionate reproaching.

Leia's eyes softened.  
"Luke told me what you did." She said. "He told me how you attacked Snoke with no concern for your own life, giving my brother the chance he needed to deal Snoke a fatal blow. It was very brave."  
"Snoke is not dead." He said.  
She nodded.  
"I know." She replied. "But from what I heard, it will take some time for him to recover. For us, it might be the well-deserved break that we need."  
He did not answer.

The rebel base might not be a place for him to take a break, but at least he would have Rey there.  
Leia slowly held her hand out to him.  
"I have to ask you to give me your weapon." She said.

The raw pain in her eyes made him swallow all protests he had coming up. He knew at that instant that she had seen what he had done to his father. He took the lightsaber from his belt and held it out to her, this time with the handle pointing towards her. She laid her hand on it.  
He met her eyes and swallowed.  
If Leia wished to, she could press the button and drive the blade through him in an instant.

Without further delay she took the saber from his hands and fastened it in her own belt.  
Then she took his hand in hers. It was so awkward and so terrifying that he might as well have died from it. Holding it in a firm grip, she nodded at the shuttle. They started to walk towards it. He did not dare to say a word, afraid that his voice might fail him. His legs felt strangely powerless.  
Damn her.

 **xxx**

It was not until they landed in the docking bay that Rey's stomach started to clench nervously.  
He had really agreed to follow her all the way to the rebel base and as a prisoner no less. Hugging Ben's hand tightly, she watched as Leia walked down the ramp with Luke close behind. There were people waiting for them outside the ship.

Her black star was already caught up in an inner turmoil and she was not far from being pulled into it.  
She cast him a quick nervous glance. Lips tightly closed, he gave her a short nod.  
Still holding hands, they walked down the ramp.

Leia and Luke had stopped in front of the others. Rey quickly counted to at least twenty-five assembled resistance members, among them Admiral Ackbar, Admiral Statura, Lieutenant Connix, Poe and… Finn.  
Everywhere she looked, there were grave faces, some of them radiant with resentment and outright hatred. Never had the hangar been so quiet.  
Leia took a step forward.  
"Ben Solo has abandoned the First order." She declared with absolute authority. "He has agreed to remain here as a prisoner. As we formerly discussed, he will be contained in a cell outside the main building where Luke and Rey will be at constant guard."

Ben squeezed Rey's hand harder. Rey squeezed back in warning. She knew exactly what he was thinking, but this moment was very ill suited to give his pride any space.  
Poe and Finn were watching her. Gathering all the courage she had, she looked back at Finn.  
He was in anguish for more than one reason. The woman Jecita, the one who had tricked her into the forest, had played him and left him practically in shreds. And all the way back she had worried about his judgement instead of giving one thought to his situation.  
She gave him a look full of sympathy. If only there was time to talk.

The other gazes she met took her by surprise. She had expected them to be upset about seeing Ben, but the judgement passed on her now was worse than anything she could have imagined.  
Luke gestured to them and walked towards a hangar door, expecting them to follow.  
Rey walked after him, pulling Ben along. Her tall, dark companion walked as dignified as he could, not giving any of them one glance. It was just as well. One look in the wrong direction may have started a situation with dire consequences.  
When she passed Finn, she touched his hand fleetingly. She thought she felt him trying to respond.

As soon as they were outside, Rey inhaled the mild night air deeply, as if she had been holding her breath. The door closed behind them.  
"Where are we going?" She asked Luke.  
Ben suddenly let go of her hand and stopped walking. He glared at Luke.  
"This is a meaningless gesture and everyone knows it." Ben said. "I could easily finish everyone off by just…"  
 _"Ben!"_ Luke roared.

Rey had a start. Ben stood frozen in silence, watching as his uncle lost his usual calm demeanor, pulled the hood off and walked up to him briskly.  
"I will never again allow you to slaughter innocent people!" Luke declared. "If you do anything at all- if you even think about it- I _will_ kill you, Ben. I don't care what your mother wants. I will drive my lightsaber through you as thoroughly as you did to your father!"

She did not think Ben's face could have gotten any paler. As Luke pulled the hood up again and turned abruptly to resume the walk, she sensed that even Ben knew that he had gone too far.  
Rey slid her hand into his.  
"Just a few more steps and it'll be just you and me." She whispered.  
They resumed walking. Finally, Luke stopped by a round two-storage cannon tower.

"I will sleep downstairs." He explained, with his usual calm voice. "You will be on the second floor."  
Rey nodded timidly.  
"Is it okay if we go upstairs right away?" She asked.  
Luke laid his hands on her shoulders.  
"Everyone is beyond relief that you are safe." He said. "They just need time."

She smiled reassuringly. Then she tugged gently at Ben's arm and ran up the narrow stairs to the armed door. Ben followed close behind her. As soon as the door slid open they both hurried inside and made sure they were locked in. Then they drew a deep breath in unison.

Rey scanned the room. She had not expected much more than a storage room. Instead, the simplicity of the room breathed a welcoming care.  
Mattresses were arranged in layers to make a generous double bed. The sheets were clean and the bed neatly made. The lanterns gave off a soft, warm light and in the middle of the room stood a table loaded with food portions, water containers and fresh fruit.

There were garments folded on a low bench; one heap for Rey and one that was probably meant for Ben. A narrow door revealed a small toilet without a shower.  
Rey felt his arms coming around her waist from behind, felt how he fought to keep himself under control. The constant struggle within him had reached an acute pinnacle. The meeting with his mother had definitely taken its toll.  
She turned and led him to the bed, pulling him down with her. The bed felt abundantly soft and luxurious compared to the bunks of the ship. He held her as if he would fall down a deep hole if he let go. She embraced him with the same eagerness, burying her head in his neck.

"I want to destroy them." He whispered.  
"I know." She said, caressing his back.  
"You should have seen what they thought about you."  
"I did. I can handle it."  
"My self-righteous uncle is going to be on my back constantly."  
"At least I haven't tried to break your wrist yet."

He glared at her with a raised eyebrow. Rey ran a finger down his cheek.  
"I adore you." She whispered.  
"You," he whispered back, "have the worst judgement I have ever seen."  
"I don't care. I know why you endure all this."

She placed several kisses on his jaw. Then she closed her mouth over his, an eager sound escaping her lips as he answered the kiss with ill-restrained desire. Her hands moved on their own, creeping under his clothes, touching his warm skin. There was so much desperation in him, so much need. Still, he held back enough to make his hands tremble.  
The kiss intensified. Her body burned for him; a pure heat that was tainted with an alien poison. But his careful, tender touch caused her to tremble as much as he did. She broke the kiss gently.

"Ben." She breathed against his lips.  
Then she rolled over on her back, pulling him over her. She unzipped her jacket and took one of his hands, putting it on the breast that was not wounded. He drew an uneven breath, dipping down to kiss her again while stroking her over her shirt.

She clenched her thighs around his leg, starting to rub against it with small movements. The warm, overwhelming desire came in strong jolts. It had been too long. He felt it too, pressing against her leg while tasting her mouth and skin softly, as if she was something fragile and precious.  
"Yes…!" She gasped, as he sucked at her throat.

His thrusts came slowly in time with hers, picking up pace only when she did. Her sex was oversensitive and pulsating wet, craving a release more urgently than she expected. She rolled her hips faster and pressed her leg tighter against his hard crotch. He was gasping too and she felt from the twitches against her leg how close he was.  
She could not hold back. She came hard from the friction, hugging him tightly as she gasped and moaned. His thrusts came sharply against her seconds after.

Rey was surprised to feel tears in her eyes as his affectionate kisses touched her face.  
"You are so good to me." She whispered.  
"I am really not." He whispered in her ear.  
"You are."  
She felt dizzy and exhausted; her muscles relaxing for the first time in days.  
He kept stroking her stomach, her arms and her face, cradling her into a dazed safety.

She must have nodded off. Rey noted only vaguely how he removed her jacket and pants, but allowed the rest to stay on, pulling the cover over her and tucking her in before laying down to embrace her.  
Before drifting back to sleep, she sent a plain message to him; the one thing that would never leave her alone.  
 _I love you so much it hurts._

Falling asleep proved to be the opposite of getting any rest.  
Having a heavy make out session with Rey was exactly what he had needed after this terrible night and Ren was certain that nothing could disturb this nap after Rey's affectionate declarations. At first his dreams were only about her.

As he sank deeper into the dream, a vivid and real throne room appeared. It was not Snoke's citadel. This hall was a lot older. The dark stone walls were withered and the throne itself shaped in a design belonging to a culture that must have been dead for a long time.  
He could feel Snoke's presence filling the air, making it colder and darker.

 _"Kylo Ren, my proud and talented apprentice. My son. You betrayed me."_  
The words were not spoken. They seemed to appear in his soul, if he had such a thing.  
"You turned against _me._ " Ren answered.  
 _"You swore to serve me with unquestionable loyalty. You swore that what was yours would belong to me as well."_  
"This is different." He replied. "This one belongs only to me."

 _"Had you given me time, she would have been our willing ally and you could have had her in all ways you desired."_  
"How could I trust you? You never even told me about your plans for her!"  
 _"Only because the light has seduced you. You are not thinking clearly. Your resolve has been shattered."_  
"That is not true. I still believe in the First Order."  
 _"And I still have so much to teach you. With you and her at my side, we shall easily defeat Luke and the pathetic little rebellion. Then nothing will stand in the way of our victory."_  
"I still do not know if I can trust you."

 _"If you do not cooperate, she might. She will go far to protect the things she cares about."_  
"Where are you?" he asked.  
 _"I am everywhere I choose to be. Consider that when you make your choice. Join me once more and prove your loyalty to me by destroying the Skywalker twins. I shall assist you and make sure your son is safe and thoroughly trained."_  
" _I_ can train my son."  
 _"Look at you. The powerful Kylo Ren agreeing to be a prisoner under his mother! This will not last."_  
"No, it will not." Ren agreed. "But I cannot go back to The Order now."  
 _"You will return to the order and fulfill your destiny."_

He was about to reply, but the hall dissolved into nothing, leaving only fragments of visions behind.  
Rey losing the child and dying from the bleeding.  
Ren rising as the new emperor of the galaxy.

Ren woke up with a start.  
The sun shone through the narrow slits in the wall and Rey was nowhere to be seen. Someone was knocking on the door.  
 _"Sir? May I come in?"_

C-3PO. Great.  
"No!" He called.  
 _"But sir! General Leia requests your presence at the main gates. Should I tell her…"_  
"I'll be there."  
 _"Oh. Very good then."_

He shoved the cover aside and rose, putting his old clothes on. He was not even nearly considering wearing the clothes on the bench. As he stepped outside the door, he almost collided with C-3PO.  
"What are you still doing here?" he snarled.  
"I thought I might accompany you to the main gate, sir."  
He said nothing as the golden droid started to follow him down the stairs.

"You probably do not recognize me." C-3PO said. "You see, my arm was different when you were younger. Now it is…"  
"Where is Rey?" He cut the droid off.  
The droid seemed taken aback before resuming the conversation.  
"I believe she is in the main building, Sir."  
He nodded.  
"How rude." The droid murmured.

Luke was waiting right outside the front door. Ren drew an impatient sigh as Luke started to walk with him to the main base, with C-3PO following close behind.  
"Your mother insisted on putting your room in order personally." Luke said. "She hopes you find it satisfactory."  
Again, Ben only nodded. The less he said the better. He had no wish to cause another outburst from Luke.

Seeing Rey next to Leia at the main gates gave him boundless relief.  
She was dressed in fresh clothes and her cheeks were spattered with freckles. Her face shone up in a beautiful smile when she saw him.  
He went straight to Rey, who ran into his arms.  
"I hope we didn't wake you." Rey said apologetically. "Leia needed to see you before the meeting."  
"Meeting?" He asked.

Leia stepped forward, her eyes revealing a mix of joy and sadness when she looked at him.  
"Yes. I am sorry I could not give you more time to settle in before involving you in the politics." Leia said. "Would you walk with me?"  
They followed a forest path, Rey on one side of him and Leia on the other. Luke was walking twenty feet behind them, with C-3PO by his side.  
They were guarding him on all sides.

"I figure you are not much for small talk." Leia said. "So I'll go straight to the point. The First Order has conquered several systems, seemingly without a fight. Now they are threatening Coruscant. If they force the government there to sign away their freedom, many other systems will follow in its wake. Too many are dependent on Coruscant for trade."  
Ren cast a glance back at Luke. Then he decided to pretend his uncle was not there and turned to his mother.  
"Define threatening." He said.

"They are pressing the government to step away in favor for a regime chosen by The First Order. I presume you know what I am talking about."  
"Perhaps these systems simply find the rule of The First Order is to prefer to their own leaders?" Ren said defensively.  
"Ben." Rey pleaded.  
"You know better." Leia said to him.

"Is this your way of finding out if I am joining your cause?" He asked Leia. "If you really want this conversation you leave me no choice. I know I cannot lie to you, so you will have to do with the truth. I am not a part of the rebel alliance and therefore I see no reason to supply it with military secrets."  
Leia did not seem surprised. Rey, on the other hand, gave him a very disappointed look.

"I am asking you only because I want to keep your family safe along with the rest of the galaxy." Leia said. "You do realize what would happen if The Order gained total rule?"  
"Our family is strong with the force." Ren said. "They could never defeat us."  
He wanted to add that he had not given up on The Order, but it felt like a bad time to do it.

"They still have weapons that not even a Jedi would be able to survive." Leia replied in her best diplomatic voice. "I am sure they would want to deal with the threat our family is causing them."  
This was the perfect trap. His answer now would reveal far too much. If he was too relaxed, he would reveal there was no new super weapon. If he seemed concerned, he would reveal there was.  
He glared at Leia, half impressed, half displeased. She answered him with a sad smile.

"I am not trying to force you into anything." Leia said. "But you must understand the situation I am in. They are all suspicious and afraid about you staying here. The one card I have to play is the one that you have turned away from The Order. If you were to give us any information at all, it would help both yours and Rey's situation a lot."  
Why did she have to mention Rey?  
He looked at his young bright star, saw her eyes following his every move; filled with anxiety and anticipation. How he wished they could be alone right now. The pull towards the light grew stronger.  
Ren sighed.

"You should tell their government not to resist." He said. "They will be made an example of if they do."  
Leia nodded.  
"I knew it." She said. "What is it this time? Another rebuilt planet? A powerful bomb?"  
He kept quiet.  
"It's something else." Rey said, frowning. "But equally dangerous. I sensed it when I meditated this morning. It seems almost… shapeless."  
Ren stared at her. So did Leia.

"I know nothing else." Rey confessed. "It was only a brief vision. Something happening in the near future."  
Chills ran down his spine as he was reminded of her powers. It would not take long for her to wrench the information from him. It might even happen unintentionally. Her mind powers were growing out of proportions.  
Leia turned her eyes back to him.

"Could it threaten this base?" She asked.  
He hesitated only a moment.  
"Yes."  
"Even the force users?"  
"Yes."  
"Does The Order know where we are?"  
"Yes."

Leia drew a deep breath. Her eyes swept over the forest.  
"We shall have to evacuate." She said.  
Rey leaned her forehead against his arm. It was hard to read what she was thinking.  
He had a strong reflex to tell them about the dream with Snoke, but something held the words back. He was not ready to take that step and there was enough to worry about already.

They walked back towards the base. Leia said nothing more to him. She seemed lost in thoughts. Luke was still following them like a shadow.  
"I was thinking about taking a shower." Rey whispered to him. "Will you join me?"  
"Do you really have to ask?" He whispered back.  
She giggled quietly.

"The showers are in the main building. If you'll wait outside, I'll fetch the towels."  
"I'll wait." He said.  
The memory of last night was still fresh in his mind. He knew he had to be careful with her, but she was clearly feeling better and he really did not mind the thought of being naked and alone with her. Rey's appealing looks became otherworldly when she was drenched with water.

As soon as they reached the main gate, Leia squeezed his hand and disappeared inside with Rey. Luke stood at a twenty feet distance as usual, politely enduring C-3PO's endless chattering about his red arm. Ren was just about to lean against the wall and try to get a moment's peace when he saw Poe Dameron appear from behind the corner, engaged in conversation with a female pilot. Poe froze the moment he saw him.  
"Would you mind?" Poe asked his colleague politely.  
She patted his shoulder and walked inside.

The irritation set in. Then he remembered that he had tortured this one. Well, not tortured, exactly. Ordered the torture. If violating his mind did not count. And killed Lor San Tekka in front of him. Wasn't this when he had ordered a holocaust on a village as well?  
"So, you came back." Poe said.  
"I did." Ren replied.  
"It was her, wasn't it? I can understand that."

Ren eyed him and could not help but brush the pilot's mind. Poe had some kind of crush on Rey. That much was obvious. And he was ready to save the day as soon as Ren turned evil again. Not very surprising.  
But… why did Poe think he was the father of Rey's child?  
Ren had a rush of adrenaline that made every fit of rage he had ever had seem like a whisper. He locked eyes with Poe.  
"You can?" Ren said; a little too silkily.  
Poe caught the changing mood, but he did not seem willing to step back. There was still resentment and anger about the time when he had been captured and he would not back down from this on his own turf.

"Of course." Poe answered. "Everyone loves Rey. You must have noticed."  
"I have."  
"I'm just saying, that if anything should happen to her…"  
"You actually think you can threaten me?"  
"Well, if you didn't hide behind the force," Poe said, "I would easily take you down."  
"Why don't you try then, you worthless rebel scum?" Ren hissed.  
"So there's the real you." Poe replied. "Does Rey know you're out here picking fights?"  
"Coward." Ren said.

It struck the nerve he had been aiming for.  
Poe dropped his helmet and walked close. Ren lashed out at him. Poe dodged at the last second and hit Ren hard just below the ribs. Ren answered by hitting his opponent in the face. It felt so good seeing the small spray of blood. Gripping Ren's clothes not to fall, Poe aimed his knee at Ren's crotch, having him shout out from the pain. Ren lost the last strings of control he had left. He used his weight by throwing himself at Poe, tackling him to the ground and taking a choke hold at him.

A strong current of air threw him backwards. He landed several feet away from Poe.  
He did not need to look to know it was his uncle who came walking up to them.  
"Stop what you are doing." Luke ordered.

Ren clenched his teeth together and rose, throwing a venomous glance at Poe as the pilot scrambled to his feet, holding his nose to prevent the bleeding. Poe gave him a knowing look.  
 _If you even think about her the wrong way you are dead,_ Ren sent to him.  
"I am not afraid of you." Poe said.  
"I said stop!" Luke demanded.

Picking his helmet up, Poe gave Luke a nod in respect and walked inside. Ren fought to stand straight from the pain. His pride would not allow him to admit its existence.  
"You are exceptionally talented when it comes to bringing out the worst in people." Luke said.  
At that moment Rey came out with the towels, looking terrified.  
"Ben!" She cried. "What happened? I felt…"  
"Nothing happened." He said quickly.  
Luke gave him a stern look.

"All right." Ren said; his voice frosty. "Poe seems to think you are having a child together. Would you happen to know anything about it?"  
Rey's mouth fell open. Then she frowned at him, rolling her eyes and sighing.  
"Please tell me you were not in a fight about that just now." She said.  
"How could I not be?"  
"It was just a decoy, Ben! Get a hold of yourself!"

He lowered his voice, hoping to shut Luke out of the conversation.  
"I have to ask." He said. "Did you and Poe ever…"  
"No!" she cried. "I cannot believe you are asking me that!"  
"Then were there ever any others that you…"  
"No, no and no! If you don't shut up about it, you'll be having a shower with Chewie!"

He fell silent then, but his brain would not stop making up questions that would eliminate every possible doubt.  
"Is Poe all right?" she asked Luke.  
"He'll be fine." Luke assured her. They exchanged meaningful glances.  
Ren felt another outbreak of anger coming and fought hard to swallow it.  
"Let's go inside." Rey sighed. "Are you coming?"  
He followed her as casually as he could, drawing from the darkness to endure the pain between his legs.

Once they were alone in Rey's old room, she dropped the towels on the floor and took hold of his robe.  
"Now you listen to me." She said. "I need you to be at your best behavior. These people are my friends!"  
"You like Poe." He said before he could stop himself.  
"Of course I like him! But not the way I like you. You cannot control who I hang with. Do you think you own me?"  
"No." He lied.

She exhaled slowly and let him go.  
"I know this is difficult for you." She said forgivingly. "But you have to give it a try."  
She had removed her jacket absentmindedly. As she unbuttoned her pants her cheeks glowed red.

Ren felt ashamed. After all, he was the one alone with her, watching her struggle to strip without waking bad memories to life. He was allowed to see her weaknesses like this. Not Poe.  
He moved close to her and kissed her gently on the mouth, careful not to put his hands in the wrong places. He could feel her insecurity and shame rising.  
"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." He whispered. "You are so strong. I should be nothing to you."

She closed her eyes and leaned against him.  
"I am not as strong as I thought." She said.  
"You are a lot stronger than you think."  
All his anger was gone. He kissed her and held her close, stroking her neck and her hair.

"You are in my blood." He said. "Even if you would never let me touch you again, I would follow you like a shadow if you would only allow me to be near you."  
"You mean it." She whispered.  
Rey removed her trousers. Then she met his eyes, stroking his cheek.  
"Would you help me?" She asked. "I cannot cross this line on my own."  
"Do not remove any other clothes." He said. "You are perfect like this."

Dressed only in her white tank top and panties, she helped him to remove his garments and took his hand, leading him into the shower.  
He leaned her back against the tiled wall and started to kiss her neck and her ear, gaining intense pleasure from the sounds she made. Her eyes were closed and her head willingly tipped back to receive his touch.  
As he put the water on, he held her close from behind, wrapping his arms around her as the hot sprinkles soaked her clothes and made them deliciously transparent. He kept kissing her hair and her neck until she spun around and threw her arms around him, answering the kisses fervently. His hands wandered down her waist and her hips, over her firm, sleek buttocks and thighs. Her breath came in short sighs.

He was already in flames and had to keep careful watch over himself not to rush her into anything. As he grew harder against her, he was reminded of how stupid it had been to start a fight with Poe. He was painfully sore, but he would not have stopped this even if Poe had shot him nine times with a blaster.  
He pressed her against the wall again, sucking at her skin through the clothes, driving loud gasps from her when he reached her nipples. He went further down, tasting her sex, pushing his tongue against the cloth and kissing her small, swollen nub. Her hands were in his hair, grasping and stroking it.  
"Yes, oh yes!" She gasped.

Her legs were shaking so much she could hardly stand up.  
Gripping her buttocks, he pressed her into his mouth and stimulated her until she was about to lose her balance. Then he laid her down on her back carefully and tugged at her panties, giving her a questioning look. She nodded frantically, red in the face, and helped him to peel them off. He spread her legs and continued to kiss her there until her back stiffened in an arch and her legs shook in cramps, her sex pulsating against his tongue.

As Rey's orgasm died out, he crept on top of her and locked her mouth to his, giving her a deep, hungry kiss. He was obscenely hard and wanted nothing but to feel her tight heat. She, however, should be the one setting the pace.  
He sat back against the wall while she straddled him. He stroked and kissed her while she rolled her hips; teased all her soft spots until she took his hard limb and pressed down on it, shivering.  
He kept eye contact with her until her hips moved on their own accord and her eyes rolled up and closed.  
"Ben…!" She whimpered. "This is so good…!"

Had he not visualized the ugly hutt in time, her hard wet nipples under the transparent cloth, her tight cramps around him and the look on her face would have made him finish it the very second she said that.  
The moans she made as she rode him were more than enough to set him off. In a desperate attempt to speed her pleasure up, he squeezed his fingers between her throbbing nub and his own stomach, adding to the pressure.  
"I'm coming, Ben. I'm...!"

He followed her into the ecstasy, hugging her tightly as the vision of the stars filled his world. Only this time, there were not two stars but one, radiating with darkness as well as light. It was painfully overwhelming, being torn apart from within and wishing it would never stop. This had to be some kind of ultimate passionate state that prominent Sith lords only dreamed of.  
When he came down from it, her cheeks were wet with tears.  
"My love." She whispered.

He helped to remove her tank top and carried her to the narrow bed, once again sweeping the mattress down to the floor. They lay down on it slowly, kissing and caressing until there was nothing but a vibrating pleasure between them.  
Her eyes were begging him, her cheeks red as she cast a quick glance down between her legs. He was more than ready to taste her again.

By the time his mouth had made her climax two more times she tugged at him, pleading with him to come inside her. This was like a perfect fantasy; taking her and then forcing orgasms out of her, watching and hearing her lose control so willingly while his pleasure built up again. She was trembling hard, but seemed as insatiable as he was. Hardly had he finished inside her when their game started again.  
The blush had spread across her entire body and they were both damp and out of breath when someone finally knocked on the door.

 _"Rey? The meeting begins now."_  
"We'll be right out!" Rey called a little too enthusiastically.  
She slapped her hand to her mouth and giggled.  
"Ben, I don't know if I can walk!" She whispered. "This is crazy! I'm supposed to train with Luke later today!"  
The shadow on her face was gone. Her cheeks had a healthy glow and the way she looked at him he might as well be the galactic overlord already.  
Being a prisoner was not so bad after all.

They hurried back into the shower. Rey begged him to take her against the wall before they left it. He really did not need any convincing.  
The arousal was still between them as they dressed. It seemed impossible to be among people for hours, unable to touch her the way he wanted. When she tied her hair back, he took over a little possessively and started to arrange it into a braid.  
"Is this what they teach you to do in The First order?" She asked with an amused smile.  
"You taught me this." He replied. "You just don't remember."

She fell silent and he continued in a low, confident voice.  
"Every morning you would run to me, asking me to fix your hair. You had me wrapped around your fingers by the time you were five."  
Rey kept quiet. When he was finished she turned around and embraced him.  
There was so much intimacy in her gesture, so much promise.  
"Let's go." She said. "The sooner we get on with the day, the sooner we can be alone again."

He was not to stray from Luke's sight at any time as long as he was awake or had any clothes on.  
While Rey attended the meeting, Ren walked with Luke to a place in the forest where a few trees had fallen down. They sat down on a trunk beside each other.  
So far, none of them had said a word. Ren felt unusually serene in Luke's company after the shower with Rey. He knew what he had to tell Luke and it did not seem like much of a deal suddenly.

"Snoke contacted me last night." Ren said.  
Luke turned his head to him.  
"What did he say?"  
"He wants me to return to The Order."  
"And what do you want?"

Ren considered his answer carefully.  
"If I do not return, he will try to persuade Rey." He said.  
Luke nodded.  
"My father once gave me the same choice."  
Darth Vader. Ren held his breath to hear more.

"It was the final battle at the second Death Star." Luke said. "I never told you, Ben, for a good reason. I have never been as close to the dark side as then."  
"But you did not turn."  
"For a moment, I did." Luke replied. "Not only in the lightsaber duel as you have heard. There was not only the rage I felt at the prospect of Palpatine hurting my sister. All the power I wielded as I set my anger free was my greatest temptation. Not until then I realized the vast potential of the dark side."  
"So why did you not explore it?"  
Luke answered by giving him a mysterious glance.

"You did." Ren said, frowning.  
"Not right there and then. But I was very close when the Emperor called on me to fulfill my destiny. There is not a day when I do not feel the temptation. I might have been the gateway to it for you, without realizing it."  
"I have a will of my own, you know." Ren snapped.  
"I have noticed."  
"So…why are you still a Jedi?"  
"Because my master was right." Luke replied calmly. "The dark side is not stronger."

Ren sighed cynically.  
"The longer I stay here, the more I put Rey in danger." He said. "Even if you change the location of the base, my presence will mean an increased risk."  
""If you do not stay, we cannot combine our powers efficiently to defeat Snoke."  
"I do not have a choice, do I?" Ren muttered."

It was only a whisper. But it was enough to catch their full attention. The both rose and concentrated at the silent tremor in the force that grew into a roar before it settled.  
They exchanged glances.  
"The weapon has been used." Luke murmured.  
Ren felt the blood leave his face.

As he followed Luke back to the base, a familiar presence was creeping up on him, a creature with no permanent body carrying a voice without sound.  
 _You just sealed her fate._


	17. The Next Skywalker

The moment Rey had been waiting for finally arrived.  
It was stained with the horrible vision she had just seen; the one that made Luke Skywalker interrupt the meeting and ask for a private audience with his sister. Leia had sensed it too. Their eyes had met when the wave of a million voices cried out for the last time. As the meeting was postponed, Rey remained at the bench, pressing her palms to her head. A hand touched her back softly.

"Rey? Are you all right?"  
She looked up.  
"Finn."  
He held his arms out to her.  
She rose and threw her arms around him.

Every muscle in her face tensed. The tears came despite her best efforts to keep them down.  
"I've missed you so much!" She sobbed.  
"I've missed you too, girl." He said, cradling her softly as she buried her face in his shoulder.

When Rey finally loosened her grip around him, she stroked a tear from his cheek.  
"Look at you." She said. "You've lost weight."  
"Before you say anything else," he replied, "I want you to know how sorry I am."  
"For what? I understand why you…"  
"And now I get what it means to be you. Sure, they're all offering their condolences, but you think there's even one of them who don't wonder what else I said to Jecita before she disappeared?"  
"Finn." She sighed. "Who could blame you?"

He clenched his teeth together before answering her.  
"You should. I told her everything about you."  
"It doesn't matter."  
" _Everything_ , Rey. If it wasn't for me, you would never have been captured in the first place."

She shook her head.  
"They would have found out anyway. Even I was about to tell Jecita my life's story after spending ten minutes with her."  
"I don't deserve you." Finn murmured and hugged her again.  
"I want to know everything that happened." Rey said. "Are you doing anything after I've had my training?"  
"I'm fighting off your boyfriend from the looks of it." He answered. "He seems delighted to see me."

Rey turned to look at Ben. He was standing just beside the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Luke and Leia stood only a few feet away from him, silently debating, but Ben's black eyes were fixed at Finn, shooting invisible daggers.  
Pressing her lips into a thin line, she grabbed Finn's hand.  
"Come on!" She said, starting to pull Finn towards Ben.

Finn offered a certain amount of resistance while walking with her.  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Finn asked.  
"You can't tip-toe around him. It won't do him any good."  
Ben took a step away from the wall and faced them as they approached him. He seemed on the verge of an explosion.  
Rey gave him a challenging look.  
 _If you hurt Finn, you will sleep downstairs with Luke._

The message was received, but to what extent she could not tell. Ben's gaze was still stone cold and the expression on Finn's face was not any softer.  
"I believe you have met." Rey said formally. "Ben, this is my best friend. I figured you might have something to say."  
Ben opened his mouth in disbelief. Rey could sense how he calculated all options and glanced over at Luke before his eyes met hers.  
 _"What should I say? He betrayed me and ruined the most important mission I have ever had!"_  
 _"You tortured him, only because he likes me. Figure something out."_

"FN-21… Finn." Ben said, his voice not hiding any venom.  
"Ben, is it?" Finn replied. "You're here."  
"I am."  
 _Ben, please! This means the world to me!_

A few long seconds passed.  
"So…we're here." Finn said awkwardly.  
"You seem to enjoy being a resistance member." Ben said.  
Finn blinked.  
"Uh, yeah. I guess."  
Rey smiled encouragingly at Ben.

 _"For how long am I supposed to degrade myself?"_ Ben sent to her.  
 _"A bit longer. I am enjoying this."_  
"Rey? Ben? Would you join us?"  
It was Leia calling to them. Rey squeezed Finn's hand.  
"We'll talk after the meeting." She said, kissing his cheek.

The struggle within Ben felt dramatic and explosive, but her mind was set. He needed to learn and she was grateful that he acted the rage out inside.  
Joining the Skywalker twins, Rey quickly got her mind on other things. They gathered around the hologram display table and Leia switched the map of the galaxy on.

"We need to know what happened and where." Leia said. "Let's put the pieces together. Luke?"  
"Wait." Ben said. "What exactly am I doing here?"  
"You had the vision too, did you not?" Leia said. "The more information we have…"  
"As a prisoner, I refuse to participate in this!" Ben said. "I have made my point of view about this rebellion abundantly clear!"  
"Ben…" Luke began.  
"Ben is right." Rey cut him off. "You cannot treat him as a prisoner one moment and as an ally the next."

She looked nervously at Leia. This was the last person in the world that she felt like defying. Then again, they were not being fair.  
A heavy silence came over the table. Then Leia nodded.  
"You are free to step back." Leia said, with a certain edge of disappointment in her voice. "But stay in the room."  
Ben took a deep breath. Then he nodded at Rey and walked over to a bench.

"So, what do we have?" Leia said.  
When they had all accounted for their visions, it was clear that millions of lives had passed away and that it had probably happened at Coruscant. Luke and Leia had visited the planet before and they had recognized buildings from the fleeting images. Also, all those millions who had died had done so by dropping to the ground in agony for a few seconds before drawing their last breath. No explosives, no deadly beam from an artificial planet and no blasters were involved. The rest of the planet's vast population was in deep shock and fear.  
All kinds of speculations arose. Viruses, poisons, force users.

Finally, Leia decided it was time to put forward what they had and to contact their allies at Coruscant, trying to find out more. She resumed the official meeting and Ben was sent out with Luke again.  
The assembly was over fast. Leia warned about a possible evacuation. Then Admiral Ackbar called for a vote about a mission to Coruscant and everyone agreed. Poe was chosen to lead the mission and as Finn volunteered to the crew, Rey started to tap her feet nervously. Did he have to do this the same day they were making up? She wanted time alone with him right away, but she knew Luke was waiting.

Ben laid his arm possessively around her shoulders as they walked with Luke to the training spot. He was struggling to leave the matter about Finn alone and she could not help but to feel sympathy for him.  
"Will you train with me?" She asked.  
"Jedi training?"  
"Why not? You were exceptional as a master. I'm sure you could teach me a lot if you would find it stimulating enough to join me."

His gaze bore into her. Rey bit her tongue.  
"I mean, it would be a pleasure." She continued. "If you…uh…"  
Her cheeks became throbbing hot. Luke was walking right in front of them.  
"I will find it very stimulating to watch you train." Ben whispered close to her ear. "After that I will teach you a few lessons myself."  
"Ben!" She reproached him.  
Her legs felt soft and weak.

Reaching the peaceful grove in the forest, she was grateful that the training session began with meditation. Ben sat down on a stone at an appropriate distance from them.  
Luke's presence calmed her and made her focus, despite Ben's burning stare. The old Jedi's voice guided her into a very welcome, infinite serenity. Tapping into that state, becoming one with it, was all too easy. It was like revisiting an old memory or fixing a slight malfunction on her old speeder.  
The universe seemed to lay open for her as the training began. She practiced the different positions with the lightsaber with great concentration and managed to separate all parts of the saber and reunite them merely by levitating them.

Two hours later, she was wonderfully exhausted. Luke nodded approvingly and ended the training for the day.  
The moment she turned her eyes to Ben, he was right beside her, taking a firm grip of her hand.  
 _"Your base must be close to a water source."_ He sent to her. _"Tell Luke you want to clean up there and that I will watch over you."_  
 _"I thought you did not do water in forests?"_  
 _"I'll do you."_

The breath caught in her throat. Feeling warm all over, she turned to Luke and asked for allowance to bring Ben with her to the river, trying to sound as innocent as she could. When Rey swore that Ben would not take his eyes of her, Luke waved her off quickly and gave his consent with a warning that he would come looking for them after an hour.

Ben had a strange smirk on his face as they headed for the water. As soon as they were out of sight from Luke, he pressed her back to a tree, slowly but strongly, towering over her.  
"I am sure you are filled with the light by now." He said under his breath. "I will fill you with something else, little Padawan."  
Rey swallowed, embarrassed by the quick reaction her body had to him.  
"Look at you, blushing this intensely." He continued. "Luke could tell exactly what I am going to do to you before you even spoke."

Her peaceful mind slid over to a dizzy hypersensitivity. His thumbs pressing into her arms made every nerve in her body tingle.  
"Ben…"  
"No." He frowned. "Not Ben. I told you I would teach you other lessons. It means you must call me Master."  
Her legs almost gave way beneath her.

"Yes, Master." She breathed.  
"Do you feel serene?" He asked, running his fingers against her scalp in a way that made her wince intensely.  
"Yes…I don't know."  
"You do not know? What do you feel?"

He leaned close and kissed her ear, using his tongue until she breathed in quiet moans.  
She could hardly keep her gaze steady as he took hold of her chin and locked eyes with her. His hand moved over her waist, hips and belly, then down to her inner thighs.  
"Open your trousers." He said.  
Her face was so overheated she thought it might explode. She unbuttoned her fly with shaking hands, feeling his hand take over from hers and snake its way inside her panties.  
She gasped.

His mouth closed over hers as his fingers entered her. The palm of his hand pressed against her sex, teasing the sensitive areas as his other hand slid under her tunic and pinched her nipple.  
She threw her head back and moaned wantonly, staying upright by clinging to his robe.  
"You will come when I tell you to." He said. "Only because it pleases me."

There was a quiver between her legs that brought her dangerously close to climaxing. They were so near the base, she could hear voices coming from beyond the trees. He had her too drugged to care.  
Everything on her body vibrated with as much sensitivity as her sex. She had never felt this open to him before.  
"Please!" She begged.  
"Please what?"  
"Please, Master!"  
She started to grind herself against his hand.  
"You are very obedient." He said, kissing her ear. "Now, be a good apprentice and come for me."

Her body answered him within a few seconds. The contractions started with strong jolts that never wanted to end. As soon as they settled, he moved his hand a little, bringing another spasm out of her. And another. It was almost painful.  
She was held upright by his hand. Her legs had given up.

As she tried to catch her breath, he put his arm around her and pulled his fingers out, lowering her to the ground.  
He removed everything covering the nether part of her body as she lay shivering on her back. The trees above her were spinning.  
His fingers burnt into her upper arms as he ravaged her mouth with his tongue. She answered him eagerly, her own tongue wrestling with his and her hips lifting as she wound her legs around his back. The moment he pushed inside, she felt him pulsating with the thrusts. Within seconds he was coming with loud gasps.

She clung to him hard, still oversensitive enough to gain pleasure from the rough penetration.  
He put his brow against hers, breathing heavily against her mouth until his heart slowed down a little. She kept kissing his lips, caressing his head and his back and enjoying his enticingly hard body. He had not removed his clothes more than necessary, but now he took his robe off and spread it on the ground, lifting her over to it and gathering her in his arms.  
She was drunk on what he had done to her, embracing him back with devotion.  
His hand landed on her belly, stroking it tenderly.

"He should have a name." Ben said.  
"Then let's choose one." She replied.  
"Anakin."  
"Nice try."  
"It is a family name."  
Rey sighed.  
"Right." She said. "But not as a first name. We get one name each. Then we decide on his first name together."  
"Agreed."

She was quiet for a few moments, trying to figure out how to say what she had to.  
"My father's name was Joonah." She said. "But I never knew him. Your father on the other hand…"  
"No!"  
"Ben…"  
"I said no!"  
He rose on an elbow, his eyes flashing.

"Do you think I want to remember?" he said. "Do you think the subject does not affect me at all?"  
"I know it does." She said softly. "But naming your son after him could be a way of honoring him. Your mother would like that."  
"Do not bring her into this."  
"Only as a third name then?"  
Ben did not answer. He lay down on his back again, grinding his teeth and gazing up at the trees.

"I did not mean to upset you." She said. "If it is that hard for you, I will take a step back. But you will have to confront this sooner or later."  
"I will not answer at this moment." He replied.  
"So, shall we choose a first name then?"  
He looked at her and smiled slightly. Some of the anger seeped out of him.  
"I think 'Ben'." She said.  
"Really?"

He stroked her cheek. She nodded.  
"It is a name connected to power, right? Also, it should flatter you enough to agree with me."  
"I am trying to get away from that name." he sighed.  
"I love saying that name. Listen: Ben Anakin Solo-Kenobi."  
"Actually," he said, "I would like to bring the name Skywalker back to the bloodline."  
"Of course." She said. "Ben Anakin Skywalker-Kenobi."  
"Yes."  
He kissed her in confirmation.  
"But please consider the third name." She said.  
He sighed and started to suck at her throat, making her moan indecently.  
"Oh, heck!"

The voice was way too close to them. Rey gasped and covered her naked legs with the robe on instinct.  
Poe was standing on the other side of some low bushes with BB-8 beeping away inquisitively.  
"I'm sorry!" Poe said, averting his eyes politely. "It was just not what I was expecting."  
Rey's ears felt like they were on fire.

"Then again, nobody invited you." Ben said coldly.  
"Take it easy." Poe said. "I don't want to be angry at you. Before I just really needed to, you know, hit you hard."  
"I know exactly what you mean."  
"I'll leave you two alone." Poe said.  
He turned, but BB-8 kept repeating its question tirelessly.

"No, BB-8." Rey said. "We did not trip and fall and I did not drop my pants. We are just…"  
A sharp pain cut through her stomach. She put her hand on it and grimaced.  
"What's wrong?" Ben and Poe said in unison.  
"I don't know."  
It eased, but in a few seconds, it started again. She pressed her hand over the pain and tried to find out what it was. The images flowing through her mind made her gasp aloud. She sent an urgent message to Luke.  
"Luke is coming!" She said, clenching her teeth as the pain came in shorter intervals. "I need to lie down."

Ben flew to his feet and lifted her up. She was drenched in cold sweat already.  
"What is this?" Ben asked. "Rey… you're burning up! LUKE!"  
"It's growing… too fast." She panted.  
"You're pale as a ghost!" Poe exclaimed, walking up to her.  
"Out of my way!" Ben shouted and started to walk briskly towards the base.

Everything was a blur after that.  
She landed on a bed somewhere indoors and a cooling cloth was held against her cheek. Not until then did she realize how warm her body temperature must be.  
Luke was holding his hand on her stomach and Ben was holding her hand in a crushing grip.  
"I can't make it stop." Rey pressed out. The pain was so intense that red spots danced in front of her.

Luke sat with his eyes closed and concentrated. She could feel Ben sending power to her and she added it to Luke's. His healing energy flowed into her, fighting the unnatural darkness spreading in her womb. Her son was being flooded by the plant of a dark seed that Snoke had placed in her. It made the fetus develop a lot faster than it should and to her horror, Luke's and her own powers only seemed to feed it.  
"Is it supposed to grow this fast?" Ben asked, his voice trembling slightly.  
"No." Luke said, looking more concerned than Rey found comfortable. "This is the dark side at work."

The old Jedi ceased his attempts to fight it and in a few moments, the fetus stopped growing. Her stomach was more swollen than before and the pain had not eased all that much. She was shaking, tears streaming down her face as Ben tried to wipe them away.  
" _Do_ something!" Ben barked at Luke. "You're supposed to know what to do!"  
"The pain will ease soon." Luke said mournfully. It was clear that he was not addressing Ben.  
The depths of unconsciousness threatened to pull her down.  
"It is Snoke." Luke said.  
He continued to speak, but his words got lost as she drowned in the dark mist.

When she woke up the pain had melted away and she could breathe normally again. The skin over her belly still tensed, but it was nothing compared to what she had just suffered. She was in the medical department, lying on a narrow bed. Ben was on his knees beside it, holding her hand. She could tell he had not moved for a while.

She reached inside to feel the child. He was alive in there and for the first time, there was something else. A consciousness.  
It was not part of the darkness in her womb, not a part of Snoke and his evil ministrations, but something entirely new; a spark, pure as the birth of a new star. For a moment, their minds touched.  
Complete bliss.

"You are awake." Ben whispered. "Is the pain gone?"  
His voice sounded strange.  
"Here." She whispered back, guiding his hand down to her belly. "Do you feel it?"  
Seconds passed. Then he leaned his brow against hers, holding her head protectively. Something wet fell on her cheek.  
"Ben?"  
She brushed her thumb under his eye, catching a salty drop.

He tipped his head up slightly and looked at her. Rey was used to seeing all kinds of emotions in his dark, lively eyes, but she had never seen this. It was just one tear and he glared at her accusingly, caressing her hair while looking like he was about to start a fight.  
For moment nothing made any sense. Then she understood.  
"Oh, Ben." She said softly. "Come here."  
He wrapped his arm around her. She held him close, running her fingers through his hair.

"I was really scared too." She confessed. "But he is well, Ben. And…he can feel us. It is absolutely amazing!"  
"Listen to me. We do not have much time."  
There was something in his voice that she could not brush off as his usual flair for dramatics.  
"You will be kept alive," Ben said, almost choking on his own words, "for as long as it takes for our son to be a fit host for him."  
Her veins seemed to fill with led.

"Snoke?" She asked. But she knew the answer.  
"He wants a new body." He continued. "Luke does not know how to stop him."  
"But…we have to try!"  
He stroked her cheek with a trembling hand.  
"We will. We are leaving for Coruscant soon."

Before Rey could answer, Luke and Leia joined them. Their faces did not calm her.  
"Is our son…going to die?" Rey asked Luke.  
"No."  
"Am I?"  
"Not now."  
"Not now?" Ben spat. "That helps a lot!"  
"Ben, please!" She said. "Master Luke, tell me what to do!"

"We have to destroy Snoke." Luke replied. "The former emperor, Darth Sidious, had a secret collection of Sith teachings below a building on Coruscant. Ben told us about it. Snoke visited it frequently. We hope to find the answer there."  
"A ship is being prepared as we speak." Leia said. "I have notified my most reliable contacts to keep our arrival a secret."  
"Is Coruscant safe?" Rey asked.  
"Ben told us about that too." Leia said. "It is not a virus. It is a frequency, sending a deadly signal to beings with a certain genetic code. The frequency can be changed to include most beings. But the government on Coruscant has agreed to surrender to The First Order, so the risk is temporarily low."

"Then we must get ready." Rey said, rising from the bed. "I am co-piloting that ship. Ben, help me up."  
"The ship is not ready yet." Ben said. "You should lie down until…"  
"No!" She cut him off. "How can you tell me to lie down now? If there is one thing in my life that is important it is this. Little Ben is not going to be a victim of your master's evil!"

She almost regretted the words as she saw Ben's reaction. He swallowed and nodded, looking more distraught than she had ever seen him.  
Leia came close and put her arms around them both. Rey felt how Ben twitched from his mother's touch.  
"Luke will be with you and so will I." Leia said. "I have prepared a fleet to back you up. We might as well take care of the Coruscant situation right now."

 **xxx**

General Hux was standing on the main bridge of the newly built star destroyer Victorious, when he heard Snoke's voice in his head. He would never get used to it.  
 _The entire Skywalker clan are travelling to Coruscant. The expecting girl will be with them._  
"I see." Hux said aloud, not knowing how else to respond. "What are your orders, Supreme Leader?"

 _You will travel to Coruscant with the delegation who signs the treaty of our victory. Bring the most powerful fleet. The rebels will do the same. This is our chance to crush them, once and for all._  
"Yes, Supreme Leader. Anything else?"  
 _The Jedi girl must not be harmed. You will take her from the hands of the Skywalkers and bring her into safety on board this ship and then await further instructions. Do not fail me in this matter._  
Hux nodded.

"And the Skywalkers?"  
 _We shall set a trap for them. The remaining two Knights of Ren will assist in this matter. They are to report to you as soon as you arrive. For now, their plans will be kept confidential._  
"As you wish."

General Hux felt the connection break and he drew a sigh in relief. He would choose radio contact over this any day. The news, though, were very welcome. The First Order had built a powerful fleet and now, several systems were under their thumb, adding their ordnance to theirs. Coruscant could be pressured to turn against the rebels with this new, powerful weapon. In only a few days, the battle over the galaxy could be decided.

 **xxx**

It was only minutes until they were all meeting by the ship. The Millennium Falcon had tastelessly been chosen as their means of transportation, but Ren had other things on his mind than arguing about the freighter. He locked himself into an empty storage room close to the hangar and sat down with crossed legs, closing his eyes. Bringing all parts of his raging mind into one place, he sent.  
 _I am ready to make a deal. Answer me. You will not regret it._


	18. The Trap

**OMG, I am late with this chapter! There has been some kind of crazy ride with a book that I am about to publish, but it is now formally OVER.  
** **It is the first one I've written to be published in three countries** **simultaneously and I am crazily excited!  
** **But I can't tell you what a joy it is to return to a galaxy far far away. After all, I promised to write the last number of chapters soon and from now on you'll have my word that the last ones will be published in its usual pace, that is once a week at weekends.  
** **A thousand apologies for the delay and I hope you have not abandoned ship completely. there is still an awesome ending waiting in a couple of chapters. For now, I hope you will enjoy this one.  
** **May the force be with you. Always.**

"We're into hyperspace now!" Rey called.  
She rose from the co-pilot's seat and acknowledged Ben's presence. He had been lingering in the background, giving her and Poe privacy to get the ship on course.

Once more, they were to spend a week on a ship together with Luke. This time, Poe and R2D2 were added to the group dynamic. Poe was piloting The Falcon expertly and Rey learned all she could from him. Leia had thought it wise to have the best pilot on the ship in case they ran into trouble on the way. For her, the Falcon carried a burden more precious than anything in the galaxy.

Leia was travelling with the rebel fleet, surveilling the military operation personally. The radio communication between them was constantly open and Rey was certain that they would both feel if anything happened to the other.

Rey was struggling to keep her mind in one place. Part of her was grateful for everything they were prepared to do for her. The other part was constantly annoyed over all the fuzz. It seemed that all she had to do was to scratch her nose to send Ben running to her side in fear of her having another visit by Snoke. She could not really blame him. After all, she was as terrified as he was. Rey had never really been afraid to die, but then she had never had so much to lose.

It was hard keeping her cool when Ben was near. She needed her hardened skin more than ever; needed her survival instincts to work flawlessly. Meeting his eyes made it nearly impossible.  
Ben's gaze was burning into her as she gave Poe's shoulder a friendly pat.  
 _We need to talk,_ Ben sent to her.  
She nodded.

He took her hand and led her away from the others, into the crew quarters that Han Solo had once rebuilt as a wedding gift to Leia. It included a bunk wide enough for two and a small galley. As soon as he had locked the door he turned to her. His face was pale and grim; the eyes cold, dark flames. For a moment it did not look like him at all.  
The silence between them was ominous. Ben stood frozen, glaring at her with an unreadable expression that made her uncomfortable.  
Rey straightened her back.

"Out with it." She said.  
He hesitated a few seconds.  
"You never answered my question."  
"What question?"  
He looked away for a second; a sign of frustration. Then he turned to her and took hold of her hand. She raised her eyebrows.

"I have betrayed The Order for you." He said.  
"I know that. Do you think I am not grateful?"  
"And?"  
"Thank you?"  
He sighed impatiently.  
"I asked you to be with me. By my side."  
"But I am."  
His face was gaining color.

"We both know we will never be free of each other." He said. "I want you to be only with me."  
"But I _am_ only with you."  
He gripped her other hand as well. She frowned at him.  
"Is this about Poe?" She demanded. "You know, I am getting really tired of…"  
"Forget Poe! If something happens to any of us, I want to know what your answer would be."  
"The answer to what?"  
"You will force me to say it, won't you?" He looked at his feet for a second, then straight at her. "I want you to exchange vows…with me."

She stared at him, trying to process his words. He was unusually red in the face. Was he trying to exercise some new form of control over her?  
"What kind of vows?" She asked.  
His mouth opened slightly. He seemed bewildered.  
"Do you understand what I am asking you?" He said.  
"Of course! To swear an oath to you. And if I do? Will you swear one to me?"  
 _"Naturally!"_

This was all profoundly confusing.  
"You really do not know what we are talking about." He said, shaking his head.  
"There's no need to be condescending!"  
She jerked her hands free.  
"Rey!"

"Just tell me what sort of game you are playing! What is the point of making me swear an oath?"  
"Just…give me your hand!"  
"Why?"  
"Take…my…hand!"  
He held his hand out demandingly.  
She crossed her arms in response, glaring back at him.

With a swift move, he had taken hold of her arms and moved her up against the wall. The act was gentle, but firm.  
"Ben!"  
"I am proposing, Rey."  
She opened her mouth to demand more information about what he was proposing. Then her tongue went dry and all blood rushed to her face.  
"Oh!" She breathed. "…Oh."

Swallowing, she tried to move her lips. It did not work. It seemed that every word she had learned was forgotten.  
Ben was watching her closely; his lips pressed into a thin line. Was it fear she sensed from him?  
Arms unfolding slowly, she reached for his hand. He released her arms and entwined his fingers with hers. He was trembling.  
When she finally found her voice, it was weak and wavering.  
"Would you… want that?" she whispered.  
He nodded, licking his lips nervously.

"But Ben…you want to take over the galaxy. And I will be a Jedi."  
"I know." He said, sounding short of breath. "We will figure it out."  
When she did not answer immediately, he spoke faster, his voice more desperate.  
"I cannot see you with anyone else! Tell me your demands. I'll agree to anything you say!"

She laid her hand on his heart. It was beating madly.  
"Would you stay with me?" She asked. "With me and Ben?"  
"For as long as I live. And beyond."  
"Then I have only one thing to ask of you." She clenched his hand harder. "I might not live that much longer, so if..."  
"Rey…"  
"Let me speak. If I die from Snoke's attempts to steal our son, I want you to swear that you'll make sure Ben gets to remain in his body. And that he'll have a good life. With you and Leia watching over him. Can you promise me that?"  
"I promise." He said, looking her straight in the eyes. "Although I will not let anything happen to you."  
Rey drew her breath.

"Yes." She replied. Her lips broke into a smile and she put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes teared up unexpectedly.  
Even Ben flashed one of his rare smiles. She was caught in his embrace before she could blink. Maybe the bond they shared was to blame for this madness. She was not even sure exactly how this marriage thing was done. It did not really matter. All she knew for certain was that she wanted him to be around until the end.  
He kissed her head and her brow, holding her closer.

"I need you to promise me something in return." He said. "If I don't make it through this, you need to tell my child that everything I did when we arrived to Coruscant was for him. No matter what you or anyone will think of it."  
She took a step back and met his eyes.  
"What do you mean by that?"  
There was a knock on the door.

 _"We're having a meeting."_ Poe called.  
Ben touched her cheek and let his hand linger there for a moment.  
"What do you mean?" She persisted. A foreboding was spreading in her veins; something that caused chilling ripples in her blood.  
He kept his mind closed to her as he turned and walked out.

 **xxx**

The hibernation device was unlike anything General Hux had ever seen.  
It was huge, with its glass chamber and multiple wires. As the engineers installed it in the assigned room on Victorious, a chill ran down his spine.

This monstrous device was meant for the Jedi girl, but to what end was uncertain. If the force users could just stick to the classic warfare manuals, it would make his life so much easier.  
The order he had received from Snoke might as well be called Mission Final Doom. To separate the Jedi girl from the other force users and to capture her seemed like a job for somebody else. Such as another force user.

Since Kylo Ren disappeared, The Order had been a perfect and predictable place. Now he was forced into a game with their rules. Then again, Hux had not risen to the top for nothing.  
Ren had been the only force user close enough to observe on a daily basis. He might not be representative for the others, but at least Hux had learned one valuable lesson from this one: He relied far too much on the force and underestimated the advanced technology that the order had developed. So much, in fact, that he had been shocked when Han Solo's wookie had given him a fatal shot, making him almost bleed out before Hux had rescued him.

Then there was the girl.  
Hux had sent subordinates to fetch Ren when he disappeared from a meeting, only to get an awkward report back. Ren had seemed extremely busy, they had said. Pressing them further it turned out he had been busy with the girl, judging from the sounds that came from inside.

While Hux had been forced to make vital decisions for The Order, Ren had adopted a lifestyle like that of the lead singer in a teenage band, wrecking ships and control panels at random while using a beautiful prisoner as his private whore. Then he had run away with her. These days he half expected to hear news about Ren singing sad love songs in a cantina for smugglers.  
If there was one thing he questioned about the Supreme Leader's judgement, it was giving Ren too much authority in the first place.

"You sent for me, Sir."  
Captain Phasma appeared beside him, attentively awaiting orders.  
"Yes. The plans have been set for our mission on Coruscant." Hux said. "I trust you have the bounty hunter standing by?"  
"Yes, Sir."  
"Then let her know that the bounty will arrive as scheduled. She is to bring it to me without delays."

Hux walked over to the side window, watching the twin star destroyer Vindicator come out of hyperspace right on time. In the distance, the never sleeping city that was Coruscant glimmered with a million artificial lights.  
"Contact the operators on Coruscant and order them to set the weapon to match Ren's genetic code." Hux said. "It should take care of a significant part of our problems."

 **xxx**

"They know we are coming." Luke said.  
Ren and Rey nodded in agreement while Poe looked puzzled. R2-D2 whistled cynically.  
They were all gathered around a hologram map, showing parts of the lower levels of Coruscant. Luke was pointing at something that looked like a mausoleum.

"Ben, you said this is the entrance to the old Sith temple and the library. Is it guarded?"  
"I doubt it." Ren said. "Unless you count the spirits of deceased Sith Lords. Nobody ever goes there- for a reason."  
A signal rang out from the technical station. Luke pushed a button and Leia's face emerged on the screen. Ren could not help but to cringe every time his mother's face appeared. If there was anything in him resembling guilt, the sight of her pushed a knife right into it.

 _"The fleet is ready and the decoy has been set into motion."_ Leia said. _"Our first priority will be to disarm the weapon, hopefully causing enough attention to give you a chance to slip under their radar. Are you sure about the weapon's location, Ben?"_  
"Yes." He replied.  
 _"Then I'll expect Poe to join me as soon as you reach the docking bay. Anything to report? Are you all right, Rey?"_  
Ren felt Rey's eyes on him. Her hand closed around his.  
"Ben…should I…?" She whispered.

He only nodded. She had him so corrupted he did not even mind hearing his old name from her anymore. Rey's cheeks had a warm color as she rose and looked at Leia.  
"Ben and I are exchanging vows." She declared.  
Everyone on The Falcon went quiet. Luke sat down with a heavy sigh, supporting his head in his hands. Ren could not help but to get a certain satisfaction from it. But it was nothing compared to what he felt seeing Poe's face. R2-D2 made a series of scandalized noises.  
"Shut up!" Ren said.

He looked at his mother.  
Leia's mouth opened and closed. She blinked several times and her face went rigid. It was her way of hiding overwhelming emotion.  
 _"When?"_  
"Soon." Ren said.  
Leia nodded.  
 _"Let me know."_  
"Of course we will." Rey assured her.  
 _"I am very happy for you."_  
"Thank you!"

As soon as Leia switched off the communication link, Luke looked up and fixed his gaze on Rey.  
"Jedi do not marry." He said. He was calm and not at all cold. Simply reminding her of her duties. But Ren could sense how frustrated he was.  
Rey bit her lip.  
"It will not make a difference." She pleaded. "I am more devoted to my training than ever!"  
"And if I do not train you he will, I presume?"

Rey walked up to Luke and fell to her knees.  
"The dark side is not for me, Master Luke. I tried it." She said. "I know you can sense I am right."  
Luke took her hand.  
"But you must see the conflict between your future knighthood and your private life."  
Rey looked infinitely sad, lowering her gaze.

Ren was about to meddle in the conversation when Rey looked up suddenly.  
"Who is Mara?" She asked.  
Luke blinked. He gave Ren an accusing glance before returning his attention to Rey.  
"She is someone I knew a long time ago." Luke replied. "We should focus on…"  
"She is someone he was married to for a long time." Ren said.  
"Stay out of this." Luke warned him.  
"A Sith, was she not? Or merely the Emperor's assassin? I forget."

Rey looked at Ren, then back at Luke.  
"Is this true?" She asked.  
Luke sighed wearily.  
"We will talk about this later." He said, getting to his feet. "But she _did_ end up as a Jedi." He added, glaring at Ren before he walked into the small corridor where the private rooms were.

The days that followed were filled with practicalities.  
Luke was researching and meditating and Ren did exactly the same, though their meditative focus differed.  
When Rey did not join them in their research, she trained a lot with her lightsaber. She preferred to practice defending techniques blindfolded, while the old levitating laser ball attacked her from all angles. It did not take long for her to master it.

Ren watched as she went about her business every day, working to improve the mechanics of the ship and making progress as Luke's Padawan. Then there was the piloting with Poe Dameron, which really did not help him relax. All those charming smiles and quick comments directed at Rey, making her laugh and comforting her, had his mind constantly on the edge.

In the evenings they lay together in the double bunk, skin to skin, embracing each other tightly. Not a night passed without a feverish union between them. They rarely spoke. Instead, their bodies handled the communication. His blood still caught fire as soon as she touched him. There was never enough time to be with her.

Rey sensed something; understood that he hid plans from her. Every now and then she tried to enter his mind and he took pleasure in distracting her with kisses and strokes, or projecting pictures into her mind with strongly explicit content. She was not going to get the chance to talk him out of this.  
Maybe she sensed what everyone else did; that their plan was desperate and unrealistic. Even if they found the secret of how to destroy Snoke, there was no guarantee that the process of learning the art would not take years. Ren's secret plan might not hold too many guarantees either, but at least it would save them significant time if it worked.

Then the day came when they moved out of hyperspace and Coruscant came into view.  
Ren had visited the planet many times and was unprepared for the effect it had on Rey. She rose from the pilot's seat and stared at it with big, lustrous eyes.  
"Are there really … _people_ in all those buildings?" She said breathlessly.  
"In most of them, yes." Poe answered, giving her a sad smile. He had not quite been himself since the news about the marriage.  
"It's huge!"

"Wait until you see the underground section." Ren said. "This is nothing in comparison. There are over five thousand levels of the city, from top to bottom."  
She sighed and shook her head. Ren put his arm around her waist, stroking her stomach with his thumb.  
"The elite of the galaxy are often born and trained here." Ren murmured in her ear. "The most skillful politicians, merchants and musicians. This is the very core of everything."  
He could sense her curiosity burning. If only there was time to impress her with all the pleasures the planet had to offer.

Rey had to sit down and help Poe steering the ship. She gasped repeatedly as they flew by a new large building or park. He wanted to stay and watch her every reaction, but Luke called him back to reality. Much against his will it was time to change clothes.  
They were all going under cover and it was not reasonable that Ren should walk around with his dark robes and the characteristic scar over his face. He still scowled as he had to put on sand-colored clothing to resemble a tattered merchant from a desert planet. A hood and a piece of cloth would cover his hair and face, save for his eyes.

As he stood there in his new clothes, seething with frustration, Luke walked up to him.  
"This is from your mother." He said, holding his hand out. Ren's lightsaber was in it. "She asked that you put it to better use this time."  
Ren hesitated before taking it. He had longed for it, but now it seemed heavy in his hand.

"And Rey?" Ren asked.  
"I gave her my old weapon. After all, it called to her."  
A month ago, Ren would have been outraged about this. Now he only nodded in agreement.  
Luke surprised him with a light pat on his back.  
"We will go through this as a family." He said.

 **xxx**

The Millennium Falcon finally landed in the assigned docking bay, as arranged by Leia's contacts. Rey, who had swiftly changed into dark green merchant's clothes with a matching helmet on that covered her face, almost jumped out of the ship to meet this new planet. All its inhabitants, making it boil and vibrate with life were a stark contrast to Jakku and somehow it comforted her to be a part of it.

Luke, who had chosen a mask and a grey cape with a hood for disguise, followed close behind her with Ben. R2D2 was sliding away to a power station, where it was going to connect with the area's main computer. Poe was piloting the ship to another area, where they were all going to reconnect with The Resistance once their mission was complete. If it was ever completed.  
Rey knew the odds were against them, but she chose to think about something that Han Solo was known to have said.  
Never tell me the odds.

The afternoon sun cast its reflection on numerous buildings, creating a breathtaking scenario of metal and glass surfaces bathing in warm colors. As soon as they were out of the hangar section, a busy crowd along a wide street swallowed them up. Rey gaped at the streets and bridges crisscrossing above and below them. The numerous vehicles soaring through the air made her dizzy and mad with curiosity.  
And then there were all these beings; species that she had never before encountered. To the left and the right of them there were vendors with market stands, boasting about their goods with loud voices. Spices, art, furniture, tools, jewelry, clothing and food that she had never known existed.

Ben took her hand.  
"When this is all over, you can have everything you want." He said. "I have resources."  
She only stared at him, not knowing how to respond.  
"Then could we stay here for a little while?" She asked.  
"For as long as you like."  
Rey smiled inside the helmet, but became serious quickly. The threat to her unborn son overshadowed everything else. They were moving fast, aiming for the end of the road. There they would find an elevator that would take them to the level where the mausoleum was.

 _I hope Leia will be on time,_ she sent to Ben. _We should need the distraction right about…_  
A distant explosion made her lose concentration. In the far distance, a pillar of smoke rose among the tall skyscrapers.  
 _This is it,_ Luke sent to her. _Let's hope they send every First order trooper to investigate._

They reached the elevator and blended with the other passengers not to draw attention. Three hundred and fifty-eight levels later, they were at a shadier and colder place, where the sun only came through in narrow slits between the buildings. Ben led the way to the area known as The Old Cemetery. He explained to Rey that there were thousands of graveyards with that name, but that this one was built upon an ancient hiding place for the Sith.

It was not only anxiety that made her heart race. Exploring this city together with Ben would be a wonderful adventure once this grave situation was dealt with.  
As they reached the cemetery, she had become dizzy and short of breath. Something was moving closer to them and she wondered if the others could feel it. On instinct, she put her hand over her belly, gazing at the artificial landscape with hundreds of sealed grave huts in all sizes and material. Some of them had inscriptions in Basic and a multitude of other languages. She could see beings among the huts, their clothes in shreds and their bodies starved.

Then there it was. The knife-like pain started at the pit of her stomach and raked through her as if someone was slashing her open with a lightsaber. She screamed and fell to her knees.  
Ben and Luke were at her side at once, but she could no longer see them. Her body went into uncontrollable spasms as a dark presence filled her, drenching Luke's and Ben's voices.  
She saw it. Not as the pale wiry creature it had once been, but as a black shape made out of smoke. It hovered at a place where a number of First Order personnel moved about. General Hux came into focus, a thin smile spreading on his pale face as he watched the two prisoners being dragged off to their cells, badly bruised and beaten.

No. It could not be.  
 _"Yes, girl. It is real. They will not be long-lived, unless you join us on the Star Destroyer. An escort will be waiting for you inside the library. If you alert the others, I will cut the throat of the rebel general first. Then the traitor, FN-2187, will be next."_  
"You will never have my child." She replied, trying to send the words clearly though the pain obscured every thought she shaped.  
 _"I have no need of your child. My plans for you have taken a different turn. Join us and I shall let your child live."_  
"You are lying!"  
 _"Then perhaps I shall murder your son right away? Surely you know I can do it?"_

The pain was increasing again and this time the torture was not hers alone.  
Little Ben was in pain. Wordless terror came from him as his tiny body was succumbed to a dangerous pressure that could easily destroy him.  
"No!" She screamed. "I'll do anything you say!"  
 _"A much more satisfying answer. See you soon."_

When Rey came to her senses, she was lying in a fetal position. Ben was wiping her mouth carefully and Luke held his hand over her belly. She laid in her own vomit, her face wet with tears. Again, her stomach had swelled further and the pain was far from gone, even though it had decreased.  
"Rey? Can you hear me?" Ben asked.  
"Yes." She sobbed.

Soothing warmth spread from Luke's hand and she felt how her womb regained its natural balance, easing her son's pain as well as her own. Even so, her tears would not stop running. Ben kissed her damp brow repeatedly, trying to wipe her tears away as they came.  
"We will defeat him." Ben said; his voice trembling. "I will not let anything happen to you, remember?"  
She closed her eyes, not knowing what to say. She had practically already betrayed them.


	19. Secrets

**Greetings! Some drama, some mystery and a little erotic heat in the middle in this one.**  
 **Some of you have mailed me and asked if you were allowed to print this story out and keep it at home as a book. Yes, of course. I'm honored that you even ask. As long as it is for your own enjoyment, it is no copyright infringement. But I advice you to wait a little longer, since I am going to clean up the language in the previous chapters that are in need of it. Some of it was written without being checked for errors before publishing, due to stress in my work.**  
 **Also: to you who have asked me if it is the real Daisy Ridley who has written a review on this story: I have no idea! I am cynical enough to think it is not. Otherwise I might die of embarrassment. :-S**  
 **And last but not least: A million hugs and a lot of gratefulness for the encouraging reviews I keep getting. It means so much to me!**  
 **The force be with you. Always.**

They had to wait for fifteen minutes before Rey was in shape to continue the quest.  
She spent the time lying in Ben's arms, pressing her head close to his chest. His heart was drumming fast.  
"It's alright, Ben." She whispered. "I am feeling better already."

It was only half a lie. The pain had diminished, but another kind of anguish had taken its place. They both held a hand on her stomach.  
"I am sorry for everything." He whispered back.  
"Don't be."  
"If I had left you alone in the first place…"  
"I don't want to hear it." She cut him off. "Tell me what it is like to be married. What does it mean?"

He pressed his lips to her brow.  
"It means that you and I swear to always be there for each other. Most of all, it means that we are exclusive. We are not to be with anyone else."  
"What? But…"  
"In bed."  
"Oh."

"And there is the ceremony." He continued, speaking close to her ear. "After the vows I am to carry you to a private room and take you- all night. So that you can feel that you are mine for a very long time."  
"Is that true?"  
"If you want it to be."

She smiled for a second.  
Half of her would be lost when she left him. But what choice was there? What mattered now was to make sure he could not enter her mind. Not how she had imagined their last minutes together, but he could not be allowed to stop her. One tiny mistake and their son would pay the price.

"Where will we live?" She whispered.  
"In the upper levels of Coruscant, where the view is great." He said. "Although we will travel a lot, exploring the force and the galaxy with it. You will never have to be hungry again."  
She tried to imagine it, watching the sunset with her family far above the city. All of them safe.

"We need to go now." She said. "The longer we wait, the greater the risk."  
"Can you walk?"  
"Yes."  
She rose on trembling legs. Ben refused to let go of her arm as they made their way towards Luke. It was impossible to look any of them in the eyes.

Their journey continued, further into the cemetery. The homeless beggars that resided among the graves cowered when they walked by, as if they sensed the three were no normal visitors.  
It was no match for them to find the secret entrance to the library. Even though Ben led the way, Rey was certain that she would have found their destination herself. The old mausoleum stood in the far corner of the cemetery, in a neglected area. The stone bricks had cracks and the surface was covered with many layers of dust and dirt. The entrance was sealed with a smooth stone surface without any inscriptions.

"It's freezing." Rey whispered, folding her arms.  
This place radiated of hopelessness and impending disaster. There was no place in the world that she wanted to visit less.  
Ben put his arm around her shoulders and held his hand up towards the door. The massive stone slate swung inwards with a loud rumbling.

"Be careful." Ben said. "The stairs down are very old and treacherous."  
Rey took a deep breath and straightened up. Climbing tricky surfaces was her expertise.  
 _"You_ be careful." She said.  
"Lead the way." Luke said and motioned towards Ben.

The stairs might be an ordeal for the others, but for Rey the journey downwards went swift without incidents. At one point she had to hold Ben steady as he slipped. She thought it would be harder to move, since her body had gained weight and swelled in certain places. Though she could not see a lot of visible difference on her arms and legs, her skin and bones throbbed from the change. Her stomach was now significantly larger and inside, Ben junior was in shock as well, trying to adjust to his growing body.

She fought to suppress the rising despair as they walked through a short corridor and ended up at a dark doorway. If her head betrayed even one thought about the meeting with Snoke, little Ben's life could be over before it had even begun.  
Snoke might be lying about everything, but she was not going to leave it to chance. Meeting Ben's former master once had been enough to convince her that there was not a scrap of human decency left inside that one. Whether she was brought to the enemy for little Ben to be possessed by Snoke's evil soul or for her to serve the dark side, she would buy her son more time to live.

Ben stopped by the doorway and made a gesture. Several torches inside the room lit up with reddish flames.  
Rey gasped.  
This was a hall more than a room. It was filled with rows of bookshelves, holo-tables and computer screens of all ages. A few ancient-looking statues and relics stood on display across the hall. The place vibrated with an energy that was positively intimidating. She sensed hesitation even from Luke.  
Ben seemed unaffected by it and walked inside, turning to her and Luke with a frown.  
"Hurry up! We haven't got all the time in the world!"

Rey exchanged glances with her Jedi master and took the first step inside. Ben was already pacing along the bookshelves, at least twenty feet away from her.  
She felt it a second before she saw it.  
A flash of two red streaks emerged from behind a bookshelf. Had she been just a moment too slow with the lightsaber, her stomach would have been penetrated by the red, glowing blades. The creature attacking her pressed hard with both its lightsabers to break through her parrying.

As Rey staggered backwards, she saw Luke's and Ben's lightsabers ignite in the corner of her eye. The creature moved out from the shadows. Its skin was dark and shriveled, almost hanging from the wiry bones. The eyes were set deep within its skull, gleaming yellow with inhuman fury. The tattered remains of its clothes and thin braids swirling around its head made it possible for Rey to identify the attacker.  
"Keira!" She gasped.  
The creature hissed, stepping back quickly to launch another attack.

Luke arrived at her side and within seconds, both Keira's lightsabers flew through the air, her hands attached to them.  
Keira let out a chilling howl, falling to her knees. She held the bloody stumps out and a moment later both Luke and Rey had to jump aside to avoid a bookshelf crashing down where they had stood.  
Ben finally reached them and swung his lightsaber against Keira. Rey jumped between them and blocked his lightsaber with hers. Red and blue sparks flew through the air.

"Wait!" she shouted. "Luke, block her force attacks!"  
"What are you doing?" Ben snarled. "She has to die!"  
"You did this to her!" Rey said. "Have you no compassion for her?"  
"She tried to murder our son and now she tried again!"  
"Then give her a merciful death! _Look_ at her!"

Luke walked past them, towards Keira. Rey felt her struggle against Luke's force shield.  
Ben lowered his weapon and so did Rey, watching as Luke laid a hand over Keira's brow in a gentle gesture. Keira hissed, gurgled and gasped, but she did not move. Her breathing calmed and finally, the life in her eyes went out. Luke supported her as she sagged to the ground. He closed her eyes with two fingers and stroked her head in sympathy before rising.

Rey swallowed, surprised that she fought against the tears. For the first time, it was very clear to her what Ben had meant when he said she would never be a dark lord. The compassion filling her now was not a weakness, but her greatest strength.  
"Thank you." She whispered to Luke.  
He nodded at her and their eyes met for a second in mutual understanding.

"If this is how we are to handle all battles, we will be done somewhere around the next century!" Ben spat.  
"Calm down." Rey said. "We are all safe. Where do we look for the answers we need?"  
Ben retracted his lightsaber and sighed.  
"I have no idea." He replied. "But there are a few alternatives more likely than others. This way."

They were shown several shelves and computers and Luke suggested they split the research between them to save time. He stayed by a computer that Ben pointed out. As usual, Rey was not to step out of sight from them. She followed Ben past several rows of bookshelves and was amazed to see real scriptures. She had only heard about books and Ben had to show her how to read them when they had found the right department.

She had her nose deep in the pages as soon as Ben had handed her a book. The language was ancient and strange, but a translator globe hovered by her shoulder, transforming the text into Basic. The book was about spirits visiting other bodies and how to drive those spirits away, but suddenly she had entered a section about sexual use of the force and her cheeks heated as she saw rich, detailed illustrations completing the text.

Ben came up behind her, kissing her ear and creating pleasant chills over her skin.  
"Do you know how desirable you are, blushing this way, with my child in your belly?" He whispered. He was hard against her buttocks and made no effort to hide it.  
"Luke." She whispered back.  
"He will not see us or hear us. Keep reading the book."

Her heart was pounding in response. This could be the last time for all she knew. He was stroking her sensitive breasts as she rubbed against his crotch and leaned forward over the sturdy reading table. The text in the book described a ritual where a virgin boy or girl was defiled by a Sith. The dark lord concentrated his soul into his seed as he impregnated his victim, taking over the body as he did. It was horrific and made her embarrassingly wet.

Ben pulled her pants down and caressed her sex, still touching her breasts with the other hand. She had to swallow a willing moan.  
"Sweet little Padawan." Ben murmured in her ear. "Showing kindness to your enemies. Will you be as generous to me?"  
His hard limb was pressing against her opening, sliding in smoothly with the help of her rich fluids. He was filling her up to the point of stretching her, making her breaths hitch as he started to move inside her with slow thrusts.

"You like this, don't you?" His lips tickled her ear.  
"Yes!" She moaned under her breath.  
She started to move her fingers against her yearning nub, teasing it as he moved faster inside her, gripping her hips. She closed her eyes, knowing the release was near. As soon as she opened them, she stared down at a picture in the book, showing a Sith taking a young female twi'lek from behind. The woman's face was frozen in an ecstatic expression, lips slightly opened and eyes closed.  
"I'm coming!" Rey gasped, her face flaming hot.

Her body tensed as the overwhelming pleasure came in numerous contractions. Ben kept moving inside her through the orgasm, picking up speed as her spasms came with longer intervals. Finally, he thrusted hard several times, his limb twitching as the seed gushed forth.  
They were both panting heavily, frozen in the same position for several minutes before Ben moved out of her. She turned around and embraced him. His mouth locked with hers, giving her a deep tongue kiss that she readily answered. Ben started to button her pants while she tied his into place. Then he took her hand, meeting her eyes.

"I have to attend a small errand in another room." He said. "I will not be long. If we are lucky, this will solve our problem."  
"What are you going to do?"  
"You know I cannot tell you. Trust me."  
"You told me not to trust you."  
He kissed her brow and her eyelids, then her mouth.  
"I love you." He said. "Will that do for now?"

She nodded, feeling a wave of burning affection for him. He stroked her cheek and gave her one last kiss before turning to go.  
"Ben." She said. "I love you and our son more than my own life. Remember that."  
He paused and gave her a curious look for a moment. Then he nodded.  
"Go straight to Luke, right now." He said. "Can you do that for me?"  
"Yes." She lied.

Then Ben was gone, striding towards a door in the far end of the hall.  
Rey stepped behind the bookshelf, waiting. She had started to feel a presence that she was quite certain that the others did not feel.  
It did not take long before the visitor appeared.  
A tall, dark hooded figure stepped out of the shadows, reaching a hand out to her.  
"Give me your weapon." He demanded in a low voice.

Rey handed him the lightsaber without hesitation and marveled at how calm she was. The hooded man grabbed her upper arm and started to walk briskly towards the entrance. Rey followed in his pace and used the time to find the force at her center. The thing she had felt as she saw Keira's decayed body had woken something within her that was an endless source of resilience. She was determined to stay in it.  
"Stay calm, or there will be consequences." Her captor warned her.  
She turned her head to him, raising an eyebrow.  
"I know. I have done all this before." She replied. "Maybe you should try something new for a change."

 **xxx**

Ren strode to the small door at the back of the library and had to keep his head down while passing the threshold. The design was obviously meant for someone shorter than him. Narrow steps led him further down inside the ancient temple, to a small altar room. A long table stretched out against one wall, clustered with figurines in different materials and sizes, depicting Dark Lords. Some of them were human in appearance, other monstrous.

He had been here only once before, but the memory of the place was still strong and vivid in his mind. Ren found the figurine he was looking for and fell to his knees in front of it.  
Before doing anything else, he focused on Rey. Her bright star radiated in a warm, constant flow. She was calm, as was the unborn child, a star as bright as hers, welcoming his mind with unconditional openness.  
Time to change focus, before he got lost in those stars.

"Darth Nihilus, powerful Lord of the Sith." Ren spoke. "I know you can be reached here. I have felt your presence."  
Without waiting for an answer, Ren took a sharp stone from the floor and slit his wrist open, creating a wound shallow enough not to be lethal. He let his blood run down in droplets over Darth Nihilus' figurine.  
"I made you an offer. I am here to fulfill my part of the deal."

This might have been more effective if he was at Darth Nihilus burial place at Korriban, but contact had been made even inside the rebel base, so the odds were still in his favor. Ren ripped a part of his clothing off and bandaged his arm. Then he shut his eyes and concentrated.  
The presence crept up on him slowly; filled the room with a thick darkness.

He had imagined a conversation, a sort of negotiation about the conditions. Instead, the dark soul moved close at once, clinging to his skin at first and then, without warning, seeping into the fresh wound.  
Ren tried to leave space for the intrusion, the way he had trained to do, but it was hard not to resist the icy black substance, creeping inside his veins and travelling up to his heart with the blood. As the ancient soul overpowered his mind and enfolded it in a black unconsciousness, one last word left his lips.  
"Rey."

 **xxx**

Rey drove her heels in the ground and tried to spin around as the hooded knight dragged her away from the cemetery.  
Something was wrong. She could no longer feel Ben in the force.  
"Keep moving!" The knight barked.  
When she still tried to resist, he put his hand on her belly.  
"I said, keep moving." The knight repeated.  
She nodded immediately, afraid to make the same mistake as last time.

"You are just like your mother." He said, as he continued to drag her along.  
The words sank in slowly as her mind was still occupied with Ben.  
"What did you say?"  
"Stubborn and slow to follow orders." He continued. "It did not help her much in the end."  
Rey nearly forgot to breathe.

"Did you know my mother?"  
"Oh, you could say that." He said, a crooked smile spreading across his face.  
She wanted to plunge into his mind, but did not dare in fear of retribution. Her mind was split in all directions. What had happened to Ben? Who was this knight leaving her over to the enemy?  
They reached a speeder of an alien brand and the knight put cuffs on her wrists before lifting her into it, tying her up against the seat. He met Rey's bewildered eyes and the smile surfaced again.  
"You will figure it out." He said.

 **xxx**

Nearly all the war ships had left the docking bay when the small freighter entered the star destroyer Vigilance. General Hux stood tall in his newly pressed uniform, ready to greet the prisoner and follow through on the order he had received.

Beside him was a Knight of the Ren Order, silently awaiting any command that might come from Hux. The knight understood that The Supreme Leader communicated with Hux directly and unlike Ren, this one grasped the full meaning of structure in the chain of command.  
It was still not entirely comfortable dealing with this many force users at once. In a moment Ren's whore would set her foot on the ship, along with another Knight of the Ren Order.  
The sooner he could get this over with, the better.

The freighter landed and the general turned around once more, assuring that the rows of soldiers were still behind him.  
When Rey came walking down the ramp and followed the knight towards him, she looked uncannily calm. Still, it was a true pleasure to see her cuffed. She stopped a few feet away as the knight held his arm out in front of her. Her face was motionless.

"We meet again." General Hux said. "I hope you are informed about the importance to obey all commands you are given here. Otherwise…"  
"I want to see them first." Rey said. "Then I will do everything you say on the condition that you let them go."  
"My dear little girl." Hux replied. "This is not a negotiation. Surely you must know that there is more at risk if you do not obey?"  
The girl frowned and bit her lip.

"Can I see them?" She asked.  
"No. You cannot. Walk with me."  
Hux started to walk out from the docking bay, followed by the two knights and his soldiers. The girl walked with him, keeping up with his rash pace.  
"You and your friends have made quite a plan." He said, putting his hands behind his back. "Sadly for you, it will be a failure from beginning to end."

The girl glared at him before looking ahead again.  
"May I ask why I am here?" She said.  
"Do not worry. You will understand soon enough. First, we have a small stop to make before you reach your final destination."

General Hux led her into the control room, where the genetic weapon was centrally managed. All five engineers and the lieutenant rose and stood in attention as he entered.  
"As you were." He commanded. "Lieutenant Mitaka, activate the weapon on Coruscant."  
The girl's face was still expressionless. It would not stay that way for long.  
"I suppose you are under the delusion that The Resistance has terminated our control tower on Coruscant?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow at her. "No need to keep you in the dark. I assure you that we changed all locations as soon as Ren betrayed the Order. The weapon is still very operational."

Rey's face whitened. She clenched her teeth.  
"Double check the settings on the genetic code." Hux ordered. "I want to make sure that every Skywalker on the planet is extinguished."  
Finally, there was a reaction.  
Her calm composure crumbled. Both knights had to hold her as she struggled against them. He had a hunch that something else was happening between them as well; a silent battle that he could not see or participate in.

"Don't do it!" Rey shouted. "I will do anything you say. I will join you! _Anything!_ "  
"Calm down." Hux reproached her. "You will have your chance to contribute to our glorious victory."  
"Please!" She begged. "Oh, please! Don't!"  
She fell to her knees and the knights allowed it to happen, still holding a firm grip around her shoulders.

It was with great satisfaction that Hux turned to the engineers, who swiftly prepared the weapon for activation.  
"Ready to fire, General." Lieutenant Mitaka said.  
"Well then." Hux replied. "Fire."


	20. Visitors from the Past

**Hi!**

 **Once again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews! It never gets old saying it.**  
 **This chapter got posted a day too late due to a power outage. An epic thunderstorm visited our town during the weekend. But both electricity and internet is back with a vengeance, so here we go!**  
 **I was thinking about making an illustration or two to this story and publish it when I reach the last chapter, since it is not far away now. (I work as an artist sometimes, besides writing books, even though I do not hope to outshine the numerous amazing Reylo-themed fan art already made.) I thought I'd ask you if you had any ideas of what you'd like to see depicted. It can be very explicit or just decent smut.**  
 **Please leave wishes in the comment section if you have any.**  
 **Hope you will enjoy this chapter!**  
 **May the force be with you. Always.**

The world came apart.  
General Hux stood watching the control board with a triumphant smirk, awaiting a response from the base at Coruscant. Rey, still on her knees, closed her eyes and expanded her mind through the force, searching for Ben and Luke.

She ran into a wall so fast, the pain exploded in her head. This was not the ministrations of the two knights, but a harsh reminder from the one who brought her into the hands of the enemy in the first place.  
She tried again, with the same result. And again.  
Then she tried to launch an attack against her captors, but the knights blocked every attempt.  
Tears were spilling down her cheeks. This could not be how it would end.

A sharp signal came from the control board. One of the engineers activated the com link.  
"Vigilance speaking. Over." The engineer answered.  
 _"Ground control from Coruscant. The system does not respond. I repeat, the system does not respond. There is a major power outage in the entire district."_  
Rey opened her eyes.

General Hux face was gaining the same color as his hair.  
"Then remediate it. Now!" Hux barked.  
 _"The power generators are directly linked to the city's central computer system, Sir. We can do nothing from here. The emergency battery will not provide enough power."_  
"Contact the District Council. Rectify it!"

Rey let her breath out slowly.  
R2-D2. If she ever saw him again, she would personally scrub him clean in every oil bath he ever took.  
"There is no need to look so smug." Hux said, turning to her. "Your allies have bought themselves minutes only. They will never have the time to move out of range."  
Something moved within the general's mind; an older man with a grey uniform and a surprisingly warm smile on his stern features. What did it mean?

"It is time for you to be installed in your new living quarters." The general said. "Come with me."  
The knights pulled her to her feet and dragged her along behind Hux. They moved out to a busy corridor, where pilots were walking past them in a hurry, followed by engineers and droids. The First Order was probably aware of the rebel fleet approaching.

She fought to get the fear under control, not to upset her son. The connection between them had grown stronger after Snoke's last visit and she knew that every experience she had affected him as well.  
A door slid open and she was hauled inside a sparsely lit room. Once her eyes got used to the dark, the interiors started to unfold. A huge glass tube was installed on the floor, sealed at both ends with machinery and cables of a kind she had never seen. Inside the tube was a metal stretcher with shackles attached to it. A smaller apparatus was by the short end, with a number of thin medical hoses, all ending in needles.

Rey tried to swallow, but her throat seemed too tight. This was nothing but a confirmation that Snoke had lied to her about not needing her son.  
"I hope you did not expect any favorable treatment of the kind Ren gave you." Hux said. "Though, if you play your cards right, you might still be of use to the knights after your conception."  
She grimaced, nauseated.

"What will you do to my child?" She asked.  
"Oh, do not fool yourself!" Hux spat. "This is no longer _your_ child. A glorious resurrection is about to take place and you will be but a lowly servant under his feet!"  
Rey turned her head to the knights at her side.  
"I thought Ren was your master." She reproached them. "Is this how you honor your commitment?"

The knight who had met her in the library released her arm and faced her, gripping her chin.  
"I am the Master of the knights of Ren now." He said. "Blood kin or not, I will put you to good use, compensating for every knight that has fallen on your behalf."  
"Blood kin?" She whispered.  
She concentrated hard, staring into his eyes.

There was a flash of a garden in sunshine. Not the one at the Jedi Academy, but a smaller one. A boy stood there, with a backpack, embracing a man and a woman. The man was holding an infant in his arms, his dark eyes sad as he smiled at the boy.  
They were saying goodbye.

A new scene appeared. The boy was locked in somewhere. The pale, monstrous face of Snoke appeared, hovering over him. The boy changed.  
Then blood. It was sprayed on the walls, spilled over the floor and in the growing crimson pools laid the man and the woman. The boy had grown up, holding a lightsaber in his hands. A holo picture stood on a table nearby, showing a small child smiling; freckles spattered over her cheeks.

Rey gasped and drew back.  
"You." She breathed. "My… brother?"  
"Did your master not tell you?" The knight said. "No matter. We are siblings only in blood…for now. You might find wisdom in the dark side yet."  
She shook her head. The floor beneath her seemed to move.

"Our parents." She said. "It was you who…"  
"Don't you _dare_ to judge me, you little whore!" He cut her off. "You have acquired a taste for the dark side already, I see. I am sure you got wet thinking about how Ren slaughtered all your friends, begging him to rape you…"  
"Quiet!" She shouted, strongly enough to make him flinch. "This is your nephew I carry! He has done nothing to you!"  
"He will not be my nephew for long."  
He put his hand on her brow.  
When her mind sank into darkness, she let it happen, almost grateful for the small mercy.

 _Rey?_  
 _Wake up._  
Soft sunlight touched her eyelids. She opened her eyes and rose slowly.  
The wind carried a fresh smell of soil and grass, making the leaves hum gently in welcome.

She was at the glade where she and Ben had first been intimate. Only, the trees seemed bigger and all colors brighter. The force was alive in everything, manifesting as a golden shimmer in the air.  
Her body felt unusually light.  
"You are awake."

Rey turned to the fireplace. There were a handful of people sitting around it, speaking to each other with friendly voices, sometimes laughing softly as if they had no care in the world.  
Two beings especially caught her attention.  
A short, green creature with pointy ears blinked at her, reaching his hand out as she approached them. Beside him was a young man with reddish hair and beard. His face became one big smile when he saw her.  
"Rey!" The red head called. He opened his arms in a warm gesture.

She fell into his embrace.  
"Ben!" She said. "Obi-Wan Kenobi!"  
"You sensed that much, did you?"  
"I recognize you from a holo book."  
He chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"And you," she said, kneeling in front of the green being in awe, "must be The Great Master Yoda."  
"Not so great, I am." Yoda replied with an amused glint in his eyes. "Long gone from this world, I am. One with the force. In everything and nothing, residing."  
Her gaze swept over the others. They all looked at her, some of them very serious. But all of them with sympathy. There was a female twi'lek nodding at her and a dark skinned male human giving her a slight wave with his hand.

"Am I…dead?" Rey asked.  
"No." Obi-Wan replied, taking her hand. "But you are fading."  
"Master Kenobi, it cannot end this way." She said. "There must be something I can do!"  
Yoda rose from the ground, supported by a crooked stick.  
"Sometimes, doing nothing for the best is." Yoda said. "Non-aggressive, the light side is. Always at peace."

"So should I just let them win? Let them take my son's life before it has begun?"  
"No, no." Yoda shook his head. "Listen, you must. Not much time do you have."  
"The dark lord who calls himself Snoke is working inside you as we speak." Obi-wan said. "His goal is nearly reached. But there is something you can do."  
"Please tell me!"

"Find peace, you must." Yoda said. "If the star inside fills you, room for darkness there is not."  
"Your core, Rey." Obi-Wan said. "You must trust it."  
There was a sting in her chest.  
"Is Ben and Luke…alright?" She asked. "I cannot find peace until I know."

"Wrong, you are." Yoda replied. "At all times, peace is with you. Only acknowledge it, you must. When calm, clearly you will see."  
"But Ben and I are destined to be together. The force chose us!"  
Yoda made a smacking noise with his tongue.  
"Only to your feelings for each other, the force reacts." He said. "Your own doing, the attraction is. Compels beings into partnership, the force does not."

"But…what I feel…"  
"…is felt more deeply because of your connection _through_ the force, not _because_ of it." Obi-Wan said.  
"But I should not feel this way." She argued. "He has done so many terrible things. To everyone… to me."  
"Great your heart is." Yoda answered mildly. "Strong indeed are you with the force. Appealing to his light, you are. Greater still, your heart must become for what lies ahead. A great challenge you will face."

She let out a deep sigh, shaking her head.  
"I have a brother." She said, nearly choking on her words. "He killed our parents. Now he is helping them to take my child."  
Yoda looked firmly into her eyes.  
"His choice, that is. His destiny. A different path, your destiny is. Face him you must."  
"I cannot hurt the only living member of my family."  
"To tragedy our choices might lead us." Yoda said, laying his tiny hand on hers. "Still his choice of free will was made."

"Come. I will sit with you." Obi-Wan said. "We will meditate together. Remember, in the force there is only serenity."  
"But the dark side…" Rey protested.  
"…is but the absence of light." Obi-wan finished. "If you can master yourself and stay with the light, The Dark One will not be able to reach you."  
Obi-Wan sat down face to face with her, crossing his legs and straightening his back.

"Wait." She said. "Please, I must know. Is Ben alive?"  
Yoda and Obi-Wan fell silent. A young man rose from the fireplace. His mischievous eyes was strangely familiar.  
"You must trust Yoda." He said. "Do not make the same mistake as I did. If you truly wish to save your son, then focus. Trust the power of the light. In the end, not even I could defeat it."

Her eyes grew wide.  
"Anakin?"  
"When you see my grandson again," Anakin said, "Tell him that his struggle will be over if he follows the call he has felt. He will understand."  
"Are you ready?" Obi-Wan said. "Close your eyes and follow my voice."

Rey did as told. She let the gates to her core fly open and took everything in. The force flooded her immediately and this time Obi-Wan's mind connected with hers.  
"I am afraid to go back", she sent.  
"Let go of the fear. I will be there with you."

 **xxx**

There were at least a dozen hoses connected to Rey.  
One of them made sure to keep her sedated into a near coma. Hux did not intend to take any chances with her. As soon as she had been put into the tube, all security measures had been made. Her hands and feet were strapped, the tube thoroughly locked and a knight placed as a guard in the room.

The past twenty-four hours the girl's belly had swollen into a size that would have been painful if she had been awake. The birth could be due at any moment if he was to trust what the monitors showed.  
So what had gone wrong?

An hour ago, Supreme Leader Snoke had contacted Hux in his unorthodox way, letting him know that the development of the fetus could not be completed. The girl interfered with his work somehow and Hux was ordered to make sure that she was truly incapacitated.  
Hux could not for his life find anything that should be interrupting The Supreme Leader's process.  
Also, there was disturbing news from Coruscant.

The entire planet was now completely out of power. It laid in darkness before him and the last reports coming in from the control tower had frozen the blood in his veins.  
The reports spoke of a humanoid travelling around the most densely populated districts, leaving each district drained of energy and in certain cases, of inhabitants. The last words from the tower had been a report of the humanoid closing in. A blurry picture had been sent, depicting a tall figure in desert clothing. Then there had been permanent radio silence.

His skin prickled at the thought. This was no ordinary terrorism.  
Despite all his firm principles, Hux knew he had to seek guidance from the force users.  
Tyrek, Rey's sibling, was guarding the tube and Hux took a deep breath before turning to him.

"Exactly what is she able to do in this state?" He asked, trying not to sound completely clueless.  
Tyrek turned his dark eyes to him, reflecting for a moment.  
"In theory, nothing. She should be out." Tyrek said.  
"But?"

"She is regaining consciousness. Very little, but there has been a change."  
"The dose of sedatives must be increased."  
"Pumping more drugs into her will risk the child's life." Tyrek replied. "The Supreme Leader will not be pleased."  
Hux let out a sharp, impatient sigh.  
"Then we must…"  
The expression on Tyrek's face changed so drastically that he fell silent.

The knight stared into thin air at something Hux could not see.  
"We have company." Tyrek murmured.  
"What? Who?"  
"Another force user. It just entered Docking Bay Five."

"Alert all troops! Take care of it!" Hux commanded, trying to stifle the panic in his voice.  
Tyrek nodded and marched out.  
Hearing a scraping noise from the tube, Hux turned to it and had a start.  
With a serene face, Rey opened her eyes and pulled the hoses out of her veins, one by one. Cold sweat broke out on his brow. Somehow, she had rejected the drugs and freed herself from the restraints.  
 _"Guards!"_ He called, boots frozen to the floor as Rey sat up and turned her glazed eyes to him.

 **xxx**

Waking up was everything but pleasant.  
Using the force to disintegrate the sedative in her veins, she slowly regained awareness of her surroundings. She could feel Snoke's presence nearby; his fury for not being let in. It did not affect her. The serenity of the glade was still inside.

She was heavier than ever. The pain from the rapid transformation would have been insufferable, had she not used the force to relieve it. She took the time to make sure Ben Junior was free of pain as well.  
Freeing herself of the straps and hoses, she sat up and saw General Hux.  
He stood absolutely still, watching her with a raised eyebrow.

Touching the glass of the tube lightly, she made it melt away, leaving an opening big enough for her to slip through.  
Hux drew his blaster and aimed it at her, flicking the safety switch off.  
"Do not move." He said.  
Rey remained seated at the stretcher, gazing at him.  
The man in the grey uniform appeared in the general's mind again.

"Your father." She said. "You are doing all this for your father."  
The general's left eye twitched.  
"I will shoot you." He warned.  
"He was an imperial officer. The rebels killed him during the attack on the Death Star. I am so sorry."  
His lips pressed into a thin line.  
"If you will not comply with The Supreme Leader's plans, you will die!"

The com link at his belt crackled to life.  
 _"General? Come in, General! There is an emergency on lower deck. Over."_  
As Hux pressed the button to answer, she felt it. The presence of this unknown force user was engulfing, even though they were several floors apart. Her calm focus wavered slightly.  
"Speak." Hux replied.

 _"Kylo Ren is on board, General. Everyone who was in Docking Bay Five is…gone. We need reinforcements immediately!"_  
Ben. Her heart made a jolt. But who was the unknown force user?  
"Reinforcements are on their way!" Hux answered. "Aim to kill! If necessary, sacrifice the docking bay!"

The moment Hux spoke his last words Rey reached out with the force and pulled the blaster away from him, swiftly landing it into her own hand.  
The general stood frozen as she pointed the weapon at him.  
"My lightsaber." Rey said. "Where is it?"  
Hux remained silent. The image of his father popped up in his mind. She probed deeper into his head. The knight who evidently was her brother had her weapon. Tyrek was his name.

"Thank you." She said to the bewildered general. "I must go. But first…"  
She pulled the trigger without hesitation, letting the force guide her aim.  
Hux let out a scream. The shot took out his com link and burned a small part of his uniform.  
Rey reset the blaster to stun and sent Hux falling to the floor, paralyzed.

In this state she had entered, there was no yearning for revenge, no hatred to act upon. But the longing for Ben was distracting her dangerously. She knew Snoke was still around, waiting for a crack in her shield.  
Rey walked out and paused behind a wall for a moment, holding a comforting hand on her stomach. The added weight put a strain on her back and her limbs were swollen.  
 _Your father is here, little one. Soon we will be safely on our way home._  
She received a few kicks as a response. Then she turned her attention outwards.  
 _Ben! I am on my way to you!_

Emptiness.  
This could not be right. He was here, on this ship.  
If she had understood the radio speaker correctly, Ben had to be in company with the powerful force user. She focused on the strong presence again and winced. So much greed.  
Taking a deep breath, she started to sneak her way towards the alien presence, using the force to locate where it was. Leia and Finn would need rescue quickly, but she could use the back-up Ben and his ally provided.

Three floors down the presence became really strong.  
Rey was about to round a corner when the blaster fell apart in her hand. The pieces clattered to the floor around her feet.  
"Tyrek." She said, turning around.

Her brother stood ready with his red lightsaber ignited, his long dark hair tied back to reveal prominent jawbones and dark eyes not unlike her own. Her lightsaber was at his belt and she wasted no time. Before he could stop it, Luke's old lightsaber was in her hand.  
"Don't do this." She said, activating the weapon.  
"You are doomed to lose this battle." He said. "Give up now and I will retrieve you to the hibernation chamber unharmed."  
She shook her head at him, tears starting to burn in her eyes.

"I believe there is compassion left in you." She said. "Come with me. Please! We'll figure it out. Together."  
"You are so naive." He spat. "Why don't you come with me? I have such things to show you, little sister. You and your bastard child."  
Rey clenched her teeth, fighting to stay connected to her side of the force.  
"Step out of the way." She warned.

Tyrek closed in on her with a patronizing smirk and attacked.  
He moved at a frightening speed, swinging the lightsaber as if it was a part of his own body. She jumped aside, seeing his weapon creating a deep, fizzling mark on the wall behind her.  
They danced around each other for several more seconds, him attacking and Rey parrying.  
"Look at you!" He said. "Knocked up and heavy. You will not be able to dodge me for long."

"Size and weight hold no importance." Rey replied, echoing the exact words Luke had once said to her. "Your former Master is on his way. You cannot win, Tyrek!"  
He let out a blood chilling laughter.  
"Oh, have you not sensed it yet?" He exclaimed. "You poor little wretch!"  
The dark premonition that had appeared on The Millennium Falcon after Ben had proposed started to leak into her core. Something was terribly wrong.

He took the opportunity to lash out at her again, driving her back with several blows that would have been instantly lethal, had she not blocked them.  
The balance inside was waning. Once she had fought Keira off with the dark side as her ally. If she accepted it now, she might win. After all, she was not only protecting herself anymore.  
 _No. The dark side is not stronger._

Ignoring everything but the peaceful flow of the force, Rey closed her eyes, her lightsaber ready.  
"You have one last chance." She heard herself say. "Then I will have to stop you, Tyrek. Lower your weapon."  
The reply came as a contemptuous snort. A moment later she sensed his attack and saw her chance. Moving with the pulsating light, she made one quick twist with her weapon while stepping aside.  
She opened her eyes.

Tyrek was on his knees at the floor, screaming in pain. Half his arm was gone and the lightsaber with it, lying several feet away. His remaining hand flew up at her. She hit him with a round kick in the face before he could attack with the force.  
He slumped down and remained motionless on the ground, his mouth and nose gushing out blood.  
The balance inside her tipped.

"I am sorry." She whispered, the tears running freely from her face as she kneeled beside him, using her sleeves in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "I saw no other option." She continued, stroking his cheek and burying her face in his robe as the sobs came.

A strong tremor went through the entire ship, accompanied by a loud rumbling noise.  
Stormtroopers came rushing past them, not stopping to find out what had just taken place between her and Tyrek.  
 _"Attention all units! Sector twenty-seven has been hit. The section is on fire." A speaker explained somewhere above her. "Evacuate all floors on this section."_

Then it slowly dawned upon her that they were not alone.  
Snoke.  
She had let her guard down and given in to despair. To him.

 _"No!"_ She cried as he entered her, the dark etheric smoke plastering to her womb. She fell to the floor, the violent pain causing spasms throughout her body.  
It was over.  
In a hazy blur, a tall figure appeared, coming to halt right beside her.  
The pain increased. The black spirit was pulling away from her, or being pulled away, for it tried to cling to her desperately.

Through the force she sensed a huge gap sucking it in, devouring all that it was. The presence of this gap was an ice cold manifestation of death, a very physical one at that, for she could feel the stranger's foot touch her arm as she fought to stay conscious.  
Finally, there was relief. Snoke could no longer be sensed. Instead, another force user gazed down at her as she struggled to stand up.  
"Ben!"

Her overwhelming relief was instantly replaced by numbing fear.  
The familiar dark eyes peered down at her from behind the unruly stripes of hair falling over his face.  
But it was not Ben.  
She stood up, her eyes fixed on him while her hand rested on the lightsaber.

"Who are you?" She whispered.  
The creature in Ben's body gazed back at her, his eyes dazed and slightly curious. Then slowly, a smile spread on its face. It touched her brow with its fingertips and glanced down at her stomach. The smile was unsettling.  
"Where is Ben?" She demanded.  
A slight dizziness came over her; a surging feeling in her head and stomach. Her limbs went heavy.  
It is feeding on me.

"Ben! Come back!" She hissed. It was paralyzing her, forcing her down to her knees.  
She reached inwards again, through the gates of the core, visualizing the glade with master Yoda and Obi-Wan, remembering the peace she had felt there. She expanded the vision, imagining her and Ben sitting there together with their newborn child; remembering when she first touched minds with her son.  
 _The dark side is only the absence of light._

Rey sighed as life returned to her limbs.  
The creature was no longer smiling.  
Ben's lightsaber was in his hand, activated. Rey ignited her own weapon and swallowed.  
"I will not fight you." She said. Then, as the creature swung the lightsaber at her, she dodged, turned and ran.

The creature inside Ben followed her, much clumsier than Ben would have. As they started to pass people in the corridor there were frightened shouts and laser beams shooting past them. The news of Ben's shifting loyalties was no doubt well known.  
The corridor tipped suddenly, sending her into the wall with a quartet of stormtroopers firing at them.  
 _"Attention all units. Sector fifty-nine and sixty has been disintegrated. All units are to evacuate from this ship."_

The ship slowly cringed upright again. As she regained balance, the corridor collapsed in front of her, burying the stormtroopers and trapping her with the creature.  
She swung around to face it, her lightsaber raised.  
It came staggering towards her.  
"You are that girl." It said.

"Yes, I've heard it before." She replied, wincing as Ben's voice delivered the creature's words. "But who are you supposed to be? Where is Ben?"  
"He is…unavailable for now. Should I leave a message?"  
It grinned, as if amused by its own wit.  
She shook her head.  
"No. I will do it myself. Ben, come to me. Throw this creature out."  
"You do not really think…"  
"Ben! Your mother is in danger. We are all dead if we don't leave this ship!"

Ben's body took a step forward, the eyes glimmering dangerously.  
"I am afraid there will be no reply." It said, raising the lightsaber.  
The blow that came was so strong that parrying it sent her to her knees. Red sparks burned into her face. She was trembling from the effort to hold him back.  
"Don't struggle, Ben. Reach into the light." Rey continued. "Trust me. _Anakin_ is there!"

The pressure against her lightsaber increased. Then it froze. The creature blinked several times.  
"Keep going, Ben!"  
"No…!" The creature gasped.  
It roared at her and stepped back, but only to aim the glowing blade at her again.  
"I'll teach you to cross me, Jedi bitch!"

She yelped as it hit her hard over the handle, making her drop the weapon. The red blade came soaring towards her, but stopped just an inch from her neck.  
She was gasping, trying to move away from the blade.  
The creature fell to its knees, dropped the lightsaber and started to throw up a black, stinking liquid.  
"Now who's the bitch?" She muttered. Then she sensed him. "Ben!"

She crept up to him and held his hair back as he continued to vomit violently. When he was finally done, he collapsed in a heap on the floor. The force told her Ben was not severely damaged, so she laid down close beside him, ignoring the foul smell from his mouth as she brushed her lips against his.  
Her dark star looked a mess, his pale skin on the verge of green with broken blood vessels around his eyes and black vomit on his face. Still, she was annoyingly hungry for him.

"I am so upset with you right now." She whispered. "You have a lot to explain, Ben Solo."  
His hand moved to her belly, staying there for a second before wandering up to her face.  
"You left without telling me." He whispered; his voice strained.  
"I had no choice. What is your excuse?"

There was another presence approaching them, one familiar this time.  
"Thank the force." She murmured, rising to her feet.  
Within seconds, Luke stood in the corridor, with Poe and Chewbacca at his side. Chewbacca let out an angry growl as he saw Ben.  
"Not now, Chewie!" Rey said. "He'll have to answer to me first."

"Are you alright?" Luke asked her.  
"I'm fine! We need to find the cell block before this whole ship goes up in flames! Help me with Ben!"  
"I know…where the cell block is." Ben said hoarsely.  
"The Falcon is in Docking Bay Five." Poe said, hurrying to her aid. "There's no one there…alive."  
"What did you do?" Luke said silently, turning to Ben who rose supported by Poe's and Rey's shoulders.  
Chills ran down Rey's spine.  
"He destroyed Snoke." Rey said, wiping Ben's mouth with her bloody sleeve and placing a kiss on his lips. "The rest will have to wait. Where is the cell block?"

 **xxx**

Ben's strength had improved by the time they got Leia and Finn out of the cell block. He was still exhausted from being a vehicle to an ancient Sith Lord, but this was not the time or place to complain. This risky endeavor had nearly killed Rey and he could sense that she was carrying troubles of her own.  
Everyone was upset with him besides Poe, who was too scarcely informed to know how to react. Instead, Ben could feel sympathy coming from the pilot. All Poe knew for certain was that Ben had killed Snoke and that seemed to be enough for him.

Leia was staggering from the torture they had inflicted upon her and Ben insisted on giving her support, even though his mother proudly declared that she could walk on her own. Seeing her like that bothered him more than expected. When she stopped to pick up a heavy blaster and took the lead towards the docking bay, it gave him some comfort.

"Wait!" Rey said. "My brother. I must fetch him!"  
"Rey…" Ben began.  
"No!" She said, holding a finger up at him. "You changed. He can too! And I cannot believe you have not told me!"  
"He has left the ship, Rey." Ben said, deciding to skip the argumentation.  
"If you are lying to me, I will never forgive you!"  
"Search your feelings. You know I am right."

Rey nodded. He hated how this tortured her.  
The others stared at them.  
 _"Brother?"_ Finn exclaimed.  
"Tactful silence, mate." Poe whispered.  
"Let's run for it!" Leia called, as another massive hit shook the ship.

Nearly a thousand dead bodies lay scattered across Docking Bay Five. A week ago, this would not have concerned Ben. Now, after following Rey's voice into the light, after knowing what true darkness felt like, it was unsettling to say the least.  
"You and I will talk." Luke said to him as they had to walk carefully not to trip over the dead bodies.  
Ben said nothing to his defense. Luke was not the one he feared in this matter.  
He would stand or fall with Rey's judgement.

Rey threw herself at the co-pilot's seat beside Poe as soon as they had boarded the Falcon. Chewbacca and Finn manned the cannons as Leia and Luke strapped themselves behind the pilots in the cockpit.  
"It's going to be quite a ride out of here." Poe said. "It's swarming with TIE fighters between us and Coruscant and this ship is not exactly discreet. What I'm saying is, hold tight!"  
"Are you really doing this?" Ben asked Rey. "You are exhausted. And in your condition…"  
"Everyone is tired." Rey said. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can all get some rest."  
"I'll be watching you. If I sense the slightest discomfort, I will haul you out of here."

He stepped back, even though he remained skeptical. Her stomach was huge, making a startling contrast to her slim arms and legs. A space battle could not be healthy for her. He looked at his mother.  
"I'll help you to carry her if I must." Leia assured him.

As the Falcon shot out from the Vigilance, chaos broke lose.  
Poe was speeding between TIE fighters, while Chewie and Finn covered their back. The Falcon was really not made for all the acrobatics Poe pulled, but then he had seen Han treating the ship a lot worse. Feeling useless in this matter, Ben sat down beside his mother and laid a protecting arm around her. He had no idea why, but she did not protest.  
Rey and Poe had a dynamic change of words as they fought to keep the Falcon flying.

Ben stared at her in wonder.  
While he had played with forces a lot greater than he could manage, she had freed herself, resisted Snoke as long as it took, defeated Tyrek in a duel and saved him from Darth Nihilus claws. If this was her skills as a Padawan, she might rise to become the greatest Jedi of all times.

Then The Falcon took a hit. The freighter shook and Poe was forced to take it into several loops, since it could no longer fly straight. The ship steadied and Ben saw how a fresh squadron of TIE fighters approached.  
Rey took a deep breath. Then she looked down and let out a surprised cry.  
"Our son!" She gasped. "Ben! It's time!"


	21. Three

**I am the worst person in the world when it comes to keeping my updating promises this summer. I have been in the Swedish wilderness for a few weeks and when it was time for publishing I realized that there was no internet. Good news though, I managed to write the rest of the story by hand. So now there are two chapters left: this one and the next one. I hope you'll forgive my lousy deadline holding!**

 **I have had some interesting ideas for a picture through mail and reviews, so I have an idea of what to publish with the next chapter.**  
 **As you can see the space between the lines is different. Several of you have requested this so I've tried to comply, even if I don't know if I am doing it right.**

 **For now, enjoy the story and may the force be with you. Always.**

* * *

The words had barely left her mouth when Ben flew up from his seat and threw himself at her side. He stared at her in wild desperation, mouth half open and fingers on the safety straps that held her in place. Rey met his gaze. He was waiting for instructions from her. For one crazy moment she realized that none of them knew what to do.

By then, Leia had risen and was pointing at them with her whole hand.  
"Rey! Get into the crew quarters! Ben! Make sure she arrives there safely. Poe! Get the ship clear to enter Hyperspace! Luke! Help Poe to get the ship to safety and join us _immediately_ after that!"

Leia had once told her that the water would break when it was time. She had never said how much water. Rey's leggings were already soaking wet and a shockingly strong contraction made her abandon the plans to walk to the crew quarters unaided.

Ben had her unstrapped in the blink of an eye and held her close in a strong grip as she rose.  
"I can walk myself!" She protested.  
"I will not let you!"

His voice was stone hard and there was not enough energy left in her to take the fight. Luke slid into the copilot's chair in her place, but made sure to meet her eyes and squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.  
"May the force be with you." He said. "I'll be with you shortly."

Then the cockpit was gone. Ben swept her hastily through the curved corridor and Leia followed close behind. The Falcon was cringing and tipping back and forth, threatening to throw them off balance. She was grateful for Ben's weight holding her steady until they reached the crew quarters.  
There was another overwhelming contraction as she sat down on the double bunk. Ben started to remove her leggings with shaking hands.  
"Ben…I can do it myself."  
His dark eyes only met hers for a second before he clenched his teeth and continued with the leggings. She opened her mouth once more, but what she had glimpsed in Ben's eyes kept her silent.  
"Your days of doing everything yourself are officially over." He said under his breath. "We will do this together- as a family."

She ran her hand gently through his hair.  
"Something is different with you." She whispered. "What did the Jedi Masters say to you?"  
"I did not meet them."  
Rey was about to make further inquiries when the door swept open and Leia stepped in.

"Are you alright?" Leia asked.  
She nodded.  
"How long between the contractions?"  
"Minutes, maybe?" Rey replied, her voice unsteady. The anxiety she felt from Ben was her own as well. Up until now they had been so busy protecting their son from surrounding danger that she had not had a moment over to reflect on her own responsibility. What if her body was not strong enough to deliver little Ben safely? What if they made a mistake?

Leia's sharp gaze softened. She squatted beside Ben and took her hand.  
"Listen to me. I am not a medic, but I have done this. I will lead you through it… both of you." She touched Ben's shoulder.  
"Could we get this done now?" Ben said. "No need to have Rey in pain longer than necessary."  
Leia stared at him.  
"Get it done? Ben; it took thirty-six hours before you decided to come out. You cannot control this."  
Ben went pale.  
 _"_ _Thirty-six hours?"_

"What can I do?" Rey asked, her lower lip trembling against her will.  
"We'll start practicing the breathing. Lie down and relax as much as you can."  
Again, Rey nodded and did as told. Ben took her hand and laid his other hand on her belly. His face remained rigid, but his eyes were as alive as ever, radiating emotional turmoil.

When the ship shook again, Ben flew to his feet.  
"Fly the damn ship straight!" He roared.  
"Behave or I'll throw you out!" Leia roared back.  
"Listen to your mother, Ben." Rey said. "I need you to hold it together."

Ben looked from one to the other. Then he kneeled beside Rey again.  
"I'll bring us to safety." He whispered. "It'll just be a couple of minutes."  
"Ben…" Rey began.  
"I'll be right back."  
"Ben! If you try anything with Dark lords again, I'll throw you out with the ship's garbage!"  
He stroked her brow.  
"Fair enough." He said, kissing her lips.  
She moaned quietly, amazed about the wave of desire running through her limbs, despite the situation.

Ben rushed out the door and Leia shook her head and sighed.  
"My son is very emotional."  
"I know."

There was another contraction, surging through her like a strong current at sea, inhumanly powerful, as if the universe itself wanted to force this baby out. She gasped and clutched her hands to her belly.  
Leia walked over to the galley and took a towel out, soaked it with water and went back to the bunk. There were small pearls of sweat on Rey's brow and Leia wiped it with the cool cloth. It felt awkward to receive this much attention.

"You are all being so nice to me." Rey murmured.  
"Not nearly nice enough." Leia said. "I can't wait to get the opportunity to spoil you thoroughly."  
Rey turned her head to the door, finding it hard to look at Leia.  
"What is he _doing_ out there?" She sighed.

 **xxx**

Finn made a frightened sound when he noticed Ben standing next to him inside the cannon compartment.  
"We will switch places." Ben said. "I am here to end this quickly."  
When Finn still appeared too distracted, Ben leaned over him and spoke in a low, commanding voice.  
"My child is coming."  
 _"_ _What?"  
_ "Concentrate! We need to get this ship into hyperspace. As soon as there is an opening, I will take your place."  
"Is Rey alright?"  
"Would I be standing here if she wasn't?"  
Finn swallowed and nodded.  
"Right." He said. "You take aim with this one and you fire with the…"  
"I know how to use everything in this ship!"

Finn sighed. When the opportunity came, they switched places. Ben sensed Finn's acute concern for Rey and with it a deep, affectionate love that had taken the pure form of friendship.  
"Go check on Rey." Ben murmured between his teeth. "She would like that."  
Then he put his finger on the trigger, closed his eyes and focused. Getting rid of the enemy ships was best done with the force as his guide. The power Darth Nihilus had stolen from his victims still vibrated inside him, waiting to be unleashed.

Every shot found its mark in one, swift flow. Once the TIE fighters were out of the way, he opened his eyes and saw the two star destroyers loom in the background. The one they had just departed from were hit in several places. The other was still unaffected by the battle. He shut his eyes again and gathered all overwhelming energy into a spear. Visualizing the main reactor on the huge, unharmed ship, he launched the invisible weapon. A moment later there was a white, blinding light.

He climbed out of the gun well and fought to keep his feet steady. Not only did the ship cringe. The enormous powers released made his head spin violently. He made his way to the pilots, hearing Poe's triumphant outcry as the star destroyer exploded.  
"It's clear." Ben said, clinging to the entrance of the cockpit. "Enter hyperspace."  
"Did _you_ do that?" Poe asked, beaming at him. "We might make a good rebel of you yet!"  
"No."  
"Impressive." Luke said, with a voice that was hard to interpret.  
"Just get the ship out of here and land it somewhere safe!" Ben growled and staggered back to the crew quarters.

When he entered the room, both Leia and Finn sat beside the bunk. Rey's beautiful face was a mask of distress, but when she turned her head to him, light sparked into her eyes.  
Finn tactfully moved to make room for him and Ben sank to his knees and laid his brow against hers, clutching her hand tightly.  
"It's done." He whispered. "We'll be on our way now."  
Rey smiled at him.  
 _"_ _Thank you for sending Finn here."_ She sent. _"It means a lot to me."  
_ _"_ _I know it does."_

She was about to say something, but grimaced and moaned.  
"The labor pains come more frequently now." Leia said, handing Ben a wet cloth. "Keep her comfortable. I need to turn this ship upside down for sharp scissors and a bowl."  
There was a buzzing sound from the walls of the ship and a hum growing stronger. The Falcon was trying to enter hyperspace. And failing. The hum declined into a sad whimper.

Ben pressed the cloth gently to Rey's cheek and neck. A whirlwind threw all thoughts around in his head. Soon, the result of his and Rey's passionate affection would manifest and even as it happened, it was impossible to grasp.  
Finn loomed somewhere quietly in the background, then came closer and laid a hand at Rey's knee.  
"I'll leave you two alone for a little while, okay? I'll be right outside if you need me."  
"Thank you, Finn." Rey said warmly. "I love you."  
A shock of fury ran through Ben's veins, but he said nothing. Rationally, he knew better.

Finn left and Rey stroked Ben's cheek.  
"You know, it's so much easier telling Finn I love him than telling you." She said.  
Another blast of fury.  
"What does that mean exactly?"  
"Telling _you_ is leaving my life in your hands."  
The fire in his blood transformed into another kind of heat. He kept caressing her neck and face with the cloth and kissed her deeply. She groaned as his tongue left her mouth.  
"I do not deserve you." He whispered.

"Ben… what if something happened to our child when Snoke… I mean, what if he changed him?"  
His blood went from fire to ice in a second.  
"He didn't." He replied. "If he did, we will fix it. We can manage anything."

But he was fooling neither one of them. As Leia came back with a huge bowl and a knife, the room was tense.  
"What will you do with the knife?" Ben asked suspiciously.  
"Cut the cord." Leia replied. "Poe is landing on Coruscant in minutes, where our allies are. The ship is too damaged to do anything else. It might be a bumpy landing, but Luke will do all he can with the force to make it smooth."  
Ben nodded.  
"See? It's all working out fine." He said to Rey.

"Thanks to you, it seems to turn out more than fine." Leia said. "I was just told that you wrecked the second star destroyer along and an entire fleet within it."  
Rey's eyes went wide open.  
"You did that?" She gasped.  
Ben's cheeks turned uncomfortably warm.  
"Also, there were a lot of dead pilots in docking bay five, which might explain why we meet so little resistance. No new TIE fighters are entering the battle." Leia continued.  
"Oh, Ben!" Rey threw her arms around his neck.  
"Finally, the main weapon control has been destroyed along with all enemy troops on Coruscant. The systems assisting The First order in the battle are being notified by us as we speak. Soon they will have the option to pull out of the agreement. In other words, we are winning the battle."  
Leia came up to them and put her hand on Ben's shoulder.  
"Thanks to you." She said.

This was awkward. Should he explain about Darth Nihilus and that he had never had the intention to help the Rebel Alliance? Rey's eyes were glistening with tears.  
"You saved us!" Rey said. "I love you so much!"  
He could probably do the explaining later.  
"All that matters is that we make it to safety." He said.  
"My dark hero." She whispered. "How can I ever repay you?"  
"I will let you know how." He whispered back in her ear, reveling in how her cheeks turned glowing red.

As the Millennium Falcon tipped down for landing, Rey's contractions came with short intervals and her opening had widened so much, there was no possibility to wait any longer. She breathed in short huffs and screamed from the pain, her effort pearling down her face and body. Ben's hand was almost crushed by her grip.  
They had moved her and the mattress down to the floor, giving Leia more space to receive the child. She sat between Rey's legs, ready with towels, water and the knife. Rey half-laid leaned back against Ben. He kept dipping the cloth in cold water and pressed it against her brow with his free hand, trying to keep himself together.  
He could not remember ever being this terrified.

Rey screamed in a way that was so forcefully primal, the screams themselves would have put an army on the run. A knife cut a deep wound in him every time he heard it. He considered asking for the hundredth time if he could do anything to ease it, but both Rey and Leia had been so annoyed last time, he decided to keep quiet.  
"I can see the head!" Leia said. "Breathe… and push!"  
Again, a world shattering scream came from Rey.  
"I can't!" She sobbed. "He's too big!"  
"No, Rey." Leia argued. "You are very small, but you can do it. Whatever happens, we will have medical staff here soon. Push!"

Ben tossed the cloth aside and put his hand directly on her brow, shoving his own dark core aside to send strength from the light to her.  
She gasped deeply and pushed again. And again.  
"The head is out!" Leia said. "Keep pushing, Rey. Just a little bit more!"  
"I'm coming apart!" Rey cried.  
"No, you're fine! Push!"  
"What if she really breaks?" Ben protested. "We should have a surgeon here!"  
"Stop worrying her!" Leia snapped.

"Push, Rey." He murmured. "Whatever happens, we will fix it. I swear."  
He kept sending strength to her, not sure if it helped at all.  
There was a number of pushes accompanied by screaming that slashed through the air.  
Ben's heart was beating wildly. He was getting dizzy. Holding his mind connected to Rey made him feel part of her agony. It was unimaginable how she could keep conscious.

A few bumps shook the ship as it hit the landing area.  
Rey gave voice to the pain again and suddenly a small whimpering sound was heard; a new sound from a different throat.  
"He is out!" Leia exclaimed.  
Ben drew in breath as he saw Leia gather a small, bloody bundle in a blanket, drying it carefully.

"I want to hold him!" Rey panted.  
"Is he alright?" Ben asked; his voice trembling.  
Leia closed her eyes before looking at the infant again. Her lips pressed tightly together as the tears came.  
She held the small bundle out to Rey, who reached both her hands out desperately.

Then he saw it. As he helped removing the blanket and putting the baby down on its stomach against Rey's chest with the cord still fastened, the small creature opened his eyes slightly, gazing his way.  
Tears started to spill down his cheeks uncontrollably. It was as if every tear he had ever held back threatened to come out. Rey was laughing and crying at the same time.

"He is perfect." Rey said under her breath. "Look, Ben! He has your eyes!"  
"He has _your_ eyes." Ben said. Slowly and carefully, he scuffed down, supporting Rey's head on his arm while he lay down beside them.  
The tiny being just lay there, coughing up some water before his breathing settled. Ben could sense a wave of content from the child, being so close to Rey. He let his hand hover over the child, afraid to touch him. What if the darkness pulsating from him would disturb the infant?  
Rey took his hand and brought it down on the child's back. His son made the tiniest sigh he had ever heard and kept resting.  
He was prepared to lie like this until both his arms fell off.

"You are bleeding richly." Leia said. "If you can, try to use the force to stop it."  
Rey closed her eyes and touched her belly while Leia held a wet towel against her nether parts. Again, Ben tried to send strength to her. The bleeding stopped, but Rey was pale and started to drift off from the exhaustion.  
"You rest." He said. "I will take care of Ben."  
Rey nodded.  
"I just want to stay with you a little longer." She whispered.

"The placenta is out." Leia said softly. "I can cut the cord when you are ready. Then we will bathe him."  
"Thank you." Rey said. "For everything."  
"Do you have a name for him?"  
"Yes. His name is Ben."  
"Ben Han Anakin Skywalker-Kenobi." Ben added before Rey could say anything else.  
Rey glanced at him and nodded. Then she frowned slightly and connected with his mind.  
 _"_ _You met your father. In the light."  
_ _"_ _Yes."  
_ _"_ _How was it? Did he say something?"  
_ _"_ _Only that… everything was going to be alright."_

 **xxx**

Rey was asleep as they moved her into a private room with medical attention at the house of Leia's secret ally at Coruscant.

She had lost a huge amount of blood and had to get a transfusion. Other than that, she was healing properly. She helped the healing with the force, making sure that everything down there turned back the way it was.

Ben was around with their son at all times, lying or sitting beside her. He never got tired of holding Ben Junior. Sometimes she fell asleep watching Ben staring at the infant in his arms and woke up much later to find him in the same position.

The moments she loved the most were when Ben sat close behind her and held her while she nursed their baby, stroking her hair and holding a finger out to the infant who grasped it in a tight grip.

Ben junior had a silky wisp of reddish hair on his little head and while his eyes were shaped exactly like Rey's, his pupils were the same dark color as Ben's. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, with his pink lips and small button for a nose.

He slept a lot, which she was grateful for. Both she and Ben needed a lot of rest after all that had happened. They took turns sleeping and sometimes they slept curled up together while Leia or Luke was watching the child. Rey was still not fully recovered and their lust had to be expressed through intimate kisses and strokes. Her senses was overwhelmed every time she had the luxury of falling asleep with Ben's hands beneath her clothes, clenching her breast as his fingers rested on the sensitive knot between her legs, right after he had satisfied her intensely and thoroughly.

Somewhere in the recovery process, Leia informed them that the rebels had won the battle and that all systems that had been forced into alliance with the First Order had started to fight their oppressors.

People came to congratulate them. Some of the rebels were unexpectedly sympathetic towards Ben. The reputation of his part in winning the battle was spreading. Taking care of Snoke, a huge part of the enemy's fleet and the secret weapon was more than enough to get most of them to see him as one of them now. To Rey's surprise, Trosh, the rebel who had once lost his family to the empire, came by often.

Something had really changed within Ben. He still hung between the two worlds of darkness and light, but for the first time since she met him, he seemed at peace with it.

She also noticed that Leia's contact on Coruscant was obscenely rich. The food was above anything she had ever tasted and every meal was delivered on plates made of expensive metals. Once she was well enough to leave the bed, a huge apartment awaited with several floors, filled with furniture fit for royalties.  
"Nobility from Alderaan." Ben had explained to her. "Mother used to be a princess there. They watch each other's back."

She wondered if the mysteries revolving around the Skywalkers would ever cease to amaze her.

 **xxx**

Two weeks later, The Resistance was planning to have a party on Coruscant to celebrate their victory. Ben and Rey had agreed to hold their wedding then and Luke was willing to do the ceremony.  
Ben had expected a quiet and secret exchange of vows. Instead, everyone seemed to be involved.

Rey was uncertain about what was expected from her and truth be told, so was Ben. It was not like he had ever thought about marriage before he met her. He had seen enough marriages as a child to know that they should both dress up and exchange vows. And have a wedding night somewhere secluded.

The First Order had acquired a lot of loot from the conquests they had made and Ben had hidden his part of the credits away in secret bank accounts on several planets, including Coruscant. Now he knew exactly how to use them.

But before he did anything at all, there was a conversation that had to take place.

* * *

He knocked carefully at his mother's door before stepping in.  
Leia was waiting in an outfit that would suit a senator more than a rebel general. Her capacity of adjusting to every new environment was stunning.  
"You wanted to speak to me?" She said, standing by the huge window. A magical sunset was on display, but Ben could only concentrate on the burning stone in his stomach.  
He took a few more steps toward her and came to a halt at a respectful distance.

"I just wanted to say…" He began.  
He looked at his feet before looking up and trying again.  
"I know you have not forgiven me." He said.  
Leia frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but he was quicker.  
"I do not expect you to." He continued. "But I want you to know that I will ask… I will _beg_ Luke to take me back as an apprentice. Not to be a Jedi, but at least to find peace in the force. So that I never turn my back on my family again."  
"Ben…"  
"Despite all I have done, you never once hesitated to help me when I came back. I cannot undo the past, but I can live the future differently. And I will."

He fell silent and waited for her reaction. She watched him quietly for a few seconds. Then she closed in and embraced him. He closed his eyes and returned her embrace.  
"I think I can begin to forgive you now." She whispered.

* * *

When the day came, he was mortified.

Rey had decided that they should sleep in different rooms before the ceremony to prepare for it in private. It was a good idea of course, but as the hour came closer, the doubt grew in him like a poisonous seed.

Ben Junior was with Rey and so was Leia. What if she had changed her mind? What if this was her way out to a good life without him? He visualized Poe flying the escape ship with her and little Ben, putting them down on a distant planet where they fell in love and started a ship repair shop together. He tried to swallow the burning lump in his throat and looked out the window.

It was early afternoon and the sun cast reflections on the tall buildings outside the window. In an hour they would meet in a huge costly festivity building that their host had financed for the rebels and their allies. Luke was already there, preparing to pronounce them husband and wife.

Ben sighed and started to put his ceremonial clothing on. He had settled for an outfit cut out like that of a Jedi master, with the exception that it was black as coal. The tunic was made in leather and the robe in basket woven wool. He knew Rey got weak knees from seeing him in dark clothing and he was not going to take any chances. Since they arrived to Coruscant everything had been about their child and about healing. They had not had any penetrating sex the past two weeks, but yesterday Rey had whispered that she was ready before she left for the night. Personally, he was not merely ready. He was desperate.

Leia and Luke were to take care of Ben Junior over the night and all preparations had been made for this. He missed his son horribly already, but if he could not get inside Rey soon he might crack.

There was a short knock on the door.  
 _"Hey, it's me! Can I come in?"  
_ Poe?  
"Enter." Ben called.  
Poe Dameron stepped in and let out a low whistle as he saw Ben fasten his robe over his shoulders.  
"That looks absolutely wicked!" Poe exclaimed.

What was he doing here? At least he was not with Rey on a flight ship.  
Poe wandered over to the bed and sat down there, making himself at home. The pilot had visited him and Rey a lot when Rey recovered and somehow, Ben found it hard to dislike him. He had, after all, put The Falcon down smoothly and saved his child and future wife. Also, Poe was disgustingly charming and easy to talk to.

"I just came by to give you some company to the ceremony." Poe said.  
"Why?" Ben said. "You have an assassin ready for me on the way?"  
Poe laughed.  
"You mean, am I in love with Rey?" Poe said. "The answer is no, mate. I was infatuated, sure, who isn't, but I assure you my hands are full. Actually, I hoped that you could use your mind powers to give me some advice about our host's daughter."  
Ben frowned.  
"Seriously? Are you asking me to use my powers to support your hedonistic lifestyle? And then what? Do you expect us to drink beer at the bar together?"  
"I don't drink beer."  
"Me neither. I find it vulgar."

The pilot looked amused.  
"I thought you wrote the book on hedonistic lifestyles." Poe replied.  
"What are you really doing here?"  
"I told you. Finn is fetching Rey and I figured I should fetch you."  
Ben sighed. Poe always knew exactly how to get under his skin. Then again, this could be the perfect decoy to let Finn escape with Rey.  
He decided to give in for now. After all, Poe was not the worst company in the world.

* * *

The festivity hall was huge.  
It was decorated with rebel flags and there were rebels and Coruscant celebrities everywhere. Ben was relieved to be led aside to a smaller room. A handful of people were waiting there already, among them his mother, holding Ben Junior.  
Ben drew a deep breath. If his son was here, Rey was probably on her way.  
C-3PO was at the back with BB-8 and R2-D2, going on and on about something involving squeaking body parts. Luke stood at the far side of the room, dressed in Jedi attire that looked a lot like Ben's, with the exception of the color.

Then Poe gave him a pat on the shoulder and took place in the small audience.  
Ben walked over to Leia and took his son in his arms, kissing him gently on the head and holding him before giving him back to Leia.  
Then he took place before Luke.  
And waited.

The silence was only broken by small sounds that Ben Junior made every now and then. He stared at his son, unable to understand how he could have taken part in creating something like this. He had never pictured himself cradling an infant. Now it was the most natural thing in the world, putting his focus elsewhere than on himself.

The minutes dragged by painfully slow.  
What if Finn had kidnapped Rey out of desperation and was planning to keep her locked up until she regained her senses? He could certainly relate to such an impulse.  
When the door finally opened, he was completely unprepared for what waited.


	22. The Bright Star

Hi and thank you for following this story til the very end! This is the last chapter and everyone sensitive about smut should read it with one eye.

 **The entire story from chapter one is now also reformatted to be easier on the eyes. Everything is also checked for mistakes, so you who wanted to print it can do it now without the old errors.**  
 **I just have to say THANK YOU to all faithful readers who have kept me inspired through your engagement! I cannot express enough how important it has been to me, reading your comments and reflections! A thousand warm hugs to you!**

 **Also, I have made an illustration to the story since this is the end chapter, just as a thank you to you readers. It's nothing fancy and there's a lot of better Reylo pictures out there, but it's the thought that counts, right? ;-) I tried to post a link here, but it did not work, so I'll give you directions instead:  
** **Simply find my nick- KyloZen- on and the picture is there. It is the only art i have in that name at the page, so you should find it. if not, let me know.**

 **If you have enjoyed this story, please let me know by leaving a comment. It does not have to be a lot of fancy words, a "thumbs up" will do fine. It will mean so much to me if you do. But right now, let's see how this ends.  
Much love!**

* * *

He wished that someone had warned him.  
He knew Rey; beautiful Rey with her practical clothing, combat boots and oil smeared cheeks; her nose deep into an engine. He knew her flustered, freckled face as she practiced with the lightsaber, how certain muscles tensed on her upper arms, her teeth clenching and eyes flashing as the flowing movements hypnotized him.  
He was not prepared for _this_ Rey.

She held her back straight and head high as she came in, the way she usually did. Her face and skin was scrubbed clean and shone in a healthy glow, her golden freckles giving her a girlish, adorable radiance. A braid adorned with small white flowers held her hair back, save for a few strands that had escaped over her ears and brow. But it was the white dress that made him grateful for the loose robe around his body, hiding the carnal reaction.

A simple and innocent garment, but perfectly shaped around her upper body with long sleeves and a generous skirt reaching down over her feet. Her shoulders were bare and her breasts pressed in and up to reveal a tempting cleft with round firm curves, waiting to be released by his hands. To make the vision complete, she was clutching a few white, long-stemmed flowers. The ugly scars on her neck and breast were gone. The skin was as smooth and healthy as the day he had first seen it.

Striding to his side with reddening cheeks, her long dark eyelashes sank as she averted her gaze.  
 _"I feel really silly in this dress."_ She sent to him.  
Ben noticed that his mouth was open and shut it.  
 _"I shall handle all matters concerning the dress."_ He sent back. _"I will not let you out of it for a good while."  
_ Rey's face turned a darker shade of red.

He held his hand out to her and she took it, meeting his eyes for a second.  
Their minds opened up to each other. He sensed her overwhelming emotions, the solemn importance of this ritual to her as well as the desire for him. She seemed to find him no less appealing than he found her.  
Ben would think afterwards that this moment was the true sealing of the bond; the silent confirmation of their devotion to each other.

Entwining his fingers with hers and turning to Luke, he tried and failed to get his mind on anything else but Rey's body.  
Did she have any underwear beneath that pretty little dress? Both alternatives had its appeal.

The crowd was getting silent.  
Luke held a hand up, making the silence absolute.  
"We are gathered here to witness a union between two souls." He began.  
The moment Luke asked him and Rey to face each other, the rest of the words passed in a blur. He was lost in the warm, dark eyes fixed to his, wondering what he had done to deserve such a burning affection from a creature like her.

Holding both her hands in his, he repeated the oath after Luke, hearing her echo his words with gravity.  
"We are joined in flesh and spirit. Your joy is mine. Your grief is mine. I shall carry you through your defeats, celebrate your victories and meet you in the lands beyond the great sleep when we are done in this world."

When Luke finally said that the union was to be sealed with a kiss, he wasted no time.  
With an arm around her slender waist, he pressed her close and moved his lips against hers, feeling her respond passionately.  
The small crowd cheered.  
Her soft, hot tongue was driving him mad. He held on to the kiss until Luke started to clear his throat and the crowd broke into laughter.

The spectators came forward to congratulate them. Leia was first, moving in to embrace them with little Ben on her arm.  
"Now you are finally my daughter by law." She said to Rey, whose eyes filled with tears.  
Even Luke closed in and gave Ben a surprisingly warm smile before embracing them both unexpectedly.

Ben received the attention with certain restlessness. How long before he could whisk Rey away to a private place and act on the spell he was under?  
There was a huge celebration outside and he was not prepared for the reaction they got once they stepped out of the room. The entire hall turned to them and applauded with loud whistling and cheers.  
Rey was delighted, throwing her arms around him and kissing him, turning the cheering into a roar. Despite his awkwardness with the huge crowd, this could be the best moment of his life.

 **xxx**

Rey found it hard to breathe normally as soon as she turned her head to Ben. He was irresistible in his black outfit and hungry gaze, swallowing her whole with skin and bones as soon as their eyes met.  
Right now, she did not regret wearing the dress at all.  
Hours of mingling had passed since the ceremony and Rey loved it. Everyone was so nice to her, complimenting her on her outfit, her eyes and her beautiful son.

Ben stood across the room with their son in his arms, proudly answering all prying questions as people gathered around the newborn. He seemed to have found a way to socialize in this new environment without meeting resentment. The tenderness he showed little Ben sometimes moved her to tears. Never had her dark star smiled so much as he did now.  
There was way too little time to be with her husband.

Everybody wanted to speak to her suddenly, as if she was someone important. They did not only ask about her plans for the future. They also wanted to know her political position on the New Republic, on restarting the Jedi tradition and a number of things that were completely unknown to her. Leia came to her aid quickly and handled everything skillfully, speaking many important words but really giving them nothing.  
As soon as she and Leia had a moment alone, Rey could not help but to ask.

"Why do they interrogate me about all these matters? I have no power here."  
Leia smiled knowingly, gazing out at the crowd around them.  
"You need to improve your self-esteem, my dear child. You are the sole heir to the Jedi tradition and the daughter to a former senator and princess by marriage. Your own family is legendary and you are a hero to the rebels. Do you need more explanations?"

Rey lowered her gaze at the mention of her family.  
"I have a brother." She said.  
Leia put a hand on her arm in sympathy.  
"There is time to deal with it." Leia replied. "I will tell you what you once told me: I'll stand by your side no matter what. You brought my son back to me and gave me a beautiful grandchild and a daughter I could never have hoped for. I owe you more than I could ever repay."

Bringing Ben back. That was what she had set out to do. She had been more successful than she had planned to be, bringing _two_ Ben back to Leia. When in all this did she forget her mission?  
It did not matter now.

There was applauding and a squeak from the speakers. A band had entered the stage at the far end of the hall. They did not look like one of those poor bands that she had seen playing in the taverns at Jakku and their outfits were nothing like that of the band at Takodana. The female vocalist was a stunningly beautiful Twi'lek. She greeted the audience and had a very powerful response.  
"This is Lekku Rani." Leia said. "It is one of the most famous bands on Coruscant. Our host insisted they should play here tonight."

The music began and Rey, who was about to answer, lost every rational thought. There were strings creating sounds that had to belong to a higher dimension, soaring in perfect unison with the flutes to give a loftier contrast to the deep, dark beat. Then the vocalist begin to sing in a many-layered, expressive voice and had all Rey's emotions gathered like a lump in her throat.  
She gazed out over the crowd and met Ben's eyes, realizing he was making his way to her.  
Warm all over, she lit up in a smile and held her hands out to him.

They stood holding each other, Ben with the infant resting on his arm. When the last notes died out, there was a few seconds silence. Then the singer addressed the audience again.  
"I know we have a newlywed couple here tonight." She said. "A couple with a very special history. So, just for you, we have written this next piece. I hope you'll enjoy it."  
Ben gave their son over to Leia.  
"It's time." He said. "Are you ready?"

"For what?" Rey asked.  
"Now is when we dance. It is our ticket out of here."  
All heat seemed to leave her body.  
"But…I can't dance!" She exclaimed.  
"Don't worry." He said. "I'll make sure we survive this."  
"You…know how to do it?"

He took her hand and started to lead her closer to the stage.  
"Someone once told me that I would never get a date unless I learned to dance." He said. "And he made me practice until I stopped stepping Chewie on the toes."  
The crowd had formed a circle around an empty space near the stage. They stepped out in the middle of it and turned to face each other. Rey's heart was beating wildly.

"I'm going to ruin this." She murmured.  
Ben smirked at her and laid his arm around her waist, clasped her hand and looked her in the eyes.  
"I did not see you half as frightened when you battled Snoke and his forces." He whispered. "I'd say use the force, but it really cannot save you now."  
The first cords came from the stage and stole her heart again. It turned out it was not so hard dancing at all. Ben was leading her expertly and she connected with his mind to follow better.  
She got lost in the beautiful, melancholic tune and the ample voice, singing about someone living on a planet where they did not see the sun for years and how the world changed when they finally saw their first sunrise.

She started to feel shy and excited in front of Ben, as he directed her with a firm hand. He was unbelievably attractive, being this self-assured with a scoundrel's smirk on his face. She was dizzy and trembling, dying to feel his mouth and his hands on her naked skin.  
When the music died out, all blood was in her face and she was panting lightly.  
The crowd was dead silent for a second before applauding and whistling. She hardly noticed. Her eyes were only on Ben as they made their way out of the circle and through the crowd.

 **xxx**

Luke and Leia were waiting with a screaming Ben Junior.  
"I think he inherited Leia's temper." Luke said.  
"His _father's_ temper!" Leia snapped.  
"Yes. I wonder where he got that from. Don't you, Ben?"  
"It is time for us to leave." Ben said, as he took his son from Luke and cradled him, leaving him over to Rey so that she could find a secluded place to nurse him.

When Rey was out of sight, Leia took Ben's hand.  
"I hear you have a big surprise waiting for her. A quite expensive one."  
"Yes."  
"How did you acquire all those credits?"  
Ben stared at his mother. She had led him into a trap for perhaps the thousandth time. Why did he never learn?  
"Why does it matter where the money comes from?" He said.

Leia raised a reprimanding finger at him.  
"If I had gotten a credit every time I heard those exact words from your father, I would be the richest woman in the galaxy!"  
"Could we speak of this later? This is my wedding day!"  
"Of course." Luke said. "That is why none of us have mentioned the affair with Darth Nihilus yet."  
"Thank you." Ben said sarcastically.

"You enjoy the following three days thoroughly." Luke continued. "After that, you will meditate with me, in very long and dull sessions. And the conversations will be inflamed and uncomfortable."  
"It sounds wonderful." Ben murmured.  
"And in three days, I want to hear all about those money, do you hear?" Leia said.

It was Trosh who saved him. The middle-aged rebel came up to them and shook his hand, his eyes shining as if he had been crying. Leia embraced Ben and kissed his cheeks before saying farewell, dragging Luke with her.  
"I am so happy for you." Trosh said to Ben.  
Ben nodded, a little confused. Was this not the one whose family had been wiped out by The First Order? He touched Trosh's mind and raised an eyebrow.  
"You were an officer." Ben said in a low voice. "In The First Order."

Trosh nodded.  
"I went by another name of course. It was years before you joined. My wife was leading a rebel cell against us when I met her."  
"My condolences for what happened." Ben said and meant it. Never before had he known such an understanding for the attachment to a family.  
"We should speak no more of that tonight." Trosh replied. "But when you are available, I would not mind continuing our conversation."  
"It would be a pleasure to get to know you." Ben said. Polite words, but there were truth behind them. He had always seen non force users as useless and boring, but his wish to meet with Trosh felt genuine.

"I shall leave you to find your bride." Trosh said, blinking. "Again, congratulations to the best catch in the galaxy."  
Ben nodded and left to find Rey. He spotted her in the crowd, handing the infant over to Leia with a lot of kisses on his little head. He was nearly there when he caught sight of Poe.  
One more thing to do before he was free to leave.

Ben touched Poe's shoulder, making the pilot spin around, grasping for his blaster.  
"Sorry about that." Poe said. "Reflexes, you know."  
"She knows you are not playing for keeps." Ben said. "But she is planning to use you."  
"What?"  
"The host's daughter. She has very elaborate fantasies about you and would love a wild and forbidden affair while you are here."  
"Really?"  
"Enjoy." Ben said and brushed past him.

 **xxx**

She stood staring at the stage with wide eyes when Ben approached her.  
Finn was up there with the lead vocalist, singing a duet with a surprisingly good voice. She could tell the singer was becoming infatuated with him. No wonder.  
The display gave her enormous relief. Even though she and Finn had agreed to be best friends, she still did not know how the wedding affected him. Now she knew. She could not wait to hang out with him again. But for now, there was only one person in the whole galaxy she longed for.

She gasped as Ben swept her up in his arms and started to carry her to the doors.  
"Wait!" she said. "Have you seen this? It's…"  
"Seriously! I have been hard since you walked in with that scandalous dress, as if you were going to lose your virginity tonight. It is becoming painful."  
She drew her eyes from the stage and looked at Ben, feeling a yearning surge in her stomach.  
"And I have wanted to feel you inside me from the moment I saw you in that evil Jedi outfit, my Master." She whispered.  
He did not answer her. Instead, he kicked the doors open harshly and carried her out to a speeder. She laughed.

The Speeder came to a halt not too far from the festivity hall.  
There was a platform at the top of a tall building where Rey parked. She had been assigned to fly the speeder, which she did with glowing cheeks and great excitement. Ben had whispered the directions in her ear while holding her waist tightly and sometimes letting his hand wander to distracting places.  
Now she stepped out of the vehicle and took a deep breath. The air up here was cleaner, but still carried a few notes of the city with it: Food, fuel and people.  
The view was enchanting.

"I have a surprise for you." Ben said, taking her hand.  
"I have one for you too." She replied, smiling at him.  
Ben led her down a stairwell to the top floor just below the platform. He unlocked a door there and gathered her in his arms once more, carrying her over the threshold.  
A dim light appeared with the sweep of a hand. She was put down to her feet.  
Rey looked around and gasped.  
"What is this place?" She asked. "It is unbelievable!"

They were in an apartment with light, soft colors. There were several rooms with few walls between them. Directly in front of her, in what had to be the main room, there was a panorama view of the city covering an entire wall. The wall on the right had green vines coming out of it, thick with leaves. A soft carpet covered the floor in front of the view and there were several armchairs and a long couch.  
The left wall had a huge aquarium built into it, containing small, exotic sea creatures.

"There is a mechanic workshop for you and a room where we both can train." Ben said. "And of course, a room for Ben. This place is ours if you want it. Or else we'll buy something else."  
Rey felt short of breath.  
"Ours? You _bought_ this?"  
"I thought we could use it as a base whenever we want to return to Coruscant. For now, Ben should get a tiny bit older before we travel with him."

Rey shook her head. Her eyes filled with tears.  
"I love it." She whispered. "I never dreamed I would live in such a place."  
Ben came up behind her and started to stroke her neck, letting his hands slide to her bare shoulders.  
"You can buy a hundred such places if you like." He said. "Half my fortune is yours now."

"Ben… I don't want your credits."  
"Too late. It is yours by law. I have opened a number of accounts that only you can access. Your half is already there. This way, you will know you are always independent and free to make your own choices."  
She turned around and looked at him.  
"But…I have nothing to share with _you_."

He placed a hand on her hip and lifted her chin.  
"But you have a lot of things I get to share." He said, pulling at the tight corset that held her breasts imprisoned. "I think I forgot to show you the bedroom."  
He lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. Suddenly she landed on a bed softer and larger than anything she had ever slept in.  
"The bed is amazing, Ben!"  
"Good. You will be spending significant time in it."

He crawled up between her legs and bit the naked curves of her breasts lightly, hauling her skirt up to her waist.  
"How _dare_ you distract me like this?" He said. "I don't know which part of you to devour first."  
Her cheeks were throbbing hot as she wound her legs around him and rolled on top, moving her hips against his hard crotch.

"They call you a hero now, sweet Master." She breathed. "As your devoted bride, it is my duty to reward you for your services to the rebellion."  
She slid down to the floor, kneeling by the bed as he sat up on its edge. Her fingers worked swiftly to unbuckle his belt and untie his trousers.  
He had grown hard and huge. Her sex made a longing contraction, but she closed her mouth around him, moaning and tasting him passionately.

"Rey…! I can't hold it…!"  
She brought his limb deep down her throat. His hands clasped the back of her head, gripping her braid. He was breathing unevenly while holding her head firmly in place. She glanced up and saw his face glow red and his eyes rage.  
"Mmmmh!" She moaned, feeling the first stirrings of his climax.  
The hot liquid came gushing into her within seconds. There was more of it than she had time to swallow. Some of it trickled down her chin as his release lasted for an unusually long time. She rode the waves of his pleasure, letting it fuel her own lust.

Breathing heavily, he fell backwards on the bed, stroking her head and neck as she drank every last part of him, caressing his softening sex with her tongue. Breaking the intimate kiss, she moved up to lie on top of him, her legs widely parted.  
"That was _so_ good." She whispered.  
"Are you trying to kill me?"

He flung his arms around her and swept her down on her back, kissing her roughly while pressing his knee between her legs.  
He wiped her chin with his thumb and pressed it into her mouth. She sucked it clean eagerly, finding new heights of arousal as he responded so willingly to the game.  
She snuck her hand down her panties and gazed at him with burning cheeks while spreading her legs further.  
"I liked that… so much!" she gasped, her fingers working in desperation to get release.

He tore her panties off with a forceful pull and held her thighs apart while the pleasure overflowed and threw her into violent spasms. She screamed his name, clutching the hand holding her thigh. The cramps had barely died out when he straddled her and brought her wrists together.

"Such behavior, little Padawan." He reproached her, starting to wind a soft rope around her wrists.  
She had a small start and felt a jolt of new warm moisture between her legs. Where did the rope come from?  
Ben pinned her wrists down over her head and fastened the rope in a metal ring attached to the wall by the head of the bed. It was placed too low to have any other reasonable purpose.

He took his clothes off quickly and Rey reveled in the sight; the curves of his arms and the sleek pale skin that gave him an etheric appearance.  
His hands went beneath the lining of her dress. Then he pushed her breasts up, unfolding her erect nipples and worked on them with his hands until she groaned aloud, pushing her hips up to him.  
"Ben…please…!"  
His fingers tugged at the nipples and clutched her breasts, creating a strange and dizzying tension in her sex.  
"You are…making me…come…again!" She gasped.

He kept his eyes nailed to her and leaned his mouth close to hers.  
"Then come while I am watching, my sweet little bride. Give me the pleasure of that while I prepare to take you."  
Her nether mouth convulsed repeatedly around nothing as the stretched strings in her belly were released, one by one, into short, intense ripples. They spread in her entire body, creating a humming, restless pleasure that she had never before experienced. She could do nothing but clench her thighs together, trying to find friction as the waves kept rolling in.

Ben kept playing with her nipples and kissed her ears until the ecstasy became senselessly strong.  
She struggled for breath, whined and moaned. His mouth locked with hers in a long kiss and she bent her tongue to his willingly, making an effort to show her gratitude for the new experience the only way she could.  
She hardly knew what was up and down as he pushed the skirt further up and lay down between her legs, letting her feel how hard he had grown.  
It was time.

"You might want to be careful." She said.  
"Does it still hurt?"  
"Not really, but…"  
She took his hand and laid it on her belly, watching him closely.  
"When I healed my wounds from the birth, I healed them a little too well." She explained. "Everything is back the way it was… _before_ I met you in the forest that day."

It was worth it just to see his face. There might have been an anatomical mishap in her beginner's skills with healing, but if she had known how he would react, she would have done it on purpose to begin with.  
Ben released her from the ropes.  
A reddish color danced on his cheeks as he helped her unhook the dress. He was holding back with great effort, trembling as he pushed the garment aside and laid down on top of her, their naked bodies pressing against each other as arms and legs locked them together. His mouth came down on hers in a kiss too tender to match the raging want inside him.  
She opened up to him completely, mind and body, and felt him do the same. His caresses were so intense, even a little harsh.

"Please do it, Ben." She whispered, kissing his ear.  
He responded at once, directing the tip to nudge against her swollen nether lips, using the abundant wetness to slide in. The penetration was slow, as if he savored every inch of it. Then came the burning sensation and she bit his shoulder, determined to be still and let him fill her at his own pace.

Once he started to move, it did not take long. Their eyes were fixed on each other, his fiery gaze enhancing her arousal as he moved with short, quick thrusts, holding her tightly in place when the climax rushed in. The intense ecstasy he felt spilled over to her, making her cramp from a phantom orgasm and reach a dreamlike state, where there was now only one very brightly shining star.

She saw them, then; their son a couple of years old, playing with Ben in the Falcon while she repaired something in the background, swearing as the sweat trickled down her forehead.  
A huge building at Coruscant appeared. People arrived at its gates with their children and she and Ben were receiving them.  
The scene shifted to a duel with Luke. They were training with lightsabers and for the first time ever, she managed to disarm him. He smiled and she knew this was the moment when her days as a Padawan were over.

There were quick flashes of wondrous places; planets with raging seas, overgrown jungles and secret caves with ancient remains from force users. Her family was there with her and sometimes Poe and Finn. Ben and Poe had become good friends.  
Letting long, deep breath out, she let the drowsiness lead her into a pleasant slumber.

 **xxx**

He worshipped her without reservation.  
Slowly descending from the strong climax, Ben decided not to move. He was still inside her, feeling the fresh smell of blood and semen, tasting the soft, salty skin of her neck as she moaned quietly, still lost in the visions.  
He had seen them too.

Rey had risen to become a legendary Jedi Master and he had become a Master of something different; something new. She had fought her brother in several duels and little Ben had grown into a child with messy red hair and extraordinary powers of a kind that had never been seen.  
There was war. New organizations rose to overthrow the restored republic and the scary part was that he was fighting to protect the democratic system.  
How did he end up here?

Whether fate or blind desire was to blame, he had no regrets. Especially not now, with her small slender body underneath him and her breath coming softly against his shoulder.  
His beautiful, young bride had restored her virginity for him, fulfilled the darkest corners of his fantasies with an enthusiasm that matched his and he could sense that she was still as hungry as he was.  
But the real gift was little Ben. Imagine how concerned she had seemed, thinking she had nothing to share with him. His son was a treasure that no wealth in the galaxy could match.

A gentle kiss on his neck revealed that she was awake.  
"There is something important I must tell you." She murmured, wrapping her arms around him. "Anakin gave me a message to you when I was deep into the light."  
Ben held his breath.  
" _The_ Anakin?"  
She stroked his hair.

"He said that you should follow the call you have. If you do, your struggle will cease."  
He let the air out from his lungs, feeling dizzy.  
Rey gave him an enquiring look.  
"You have no idea what this means to me." He whispered.  
"Tell me."

He kissed her brow.  
"Within the force, darkness and light resides." He said. "You know I have always been torn between them. But in truth, there is really only one force."  
"Go on."  
"I want to create a new teaching- a new academy-, where the light _and_ the dark have a place. A perfect union between the two, leading to a perfect balance of the force."

Her eyes opened wide.  
"Bringing balance to the force." She said. "Yes!"  
"That is what I saw in my vision." She continued. "The Jedi always say that nature should run its course and that what is dead should transform into new things. The Jedi order is gone. The force needs a new shape for its teachings!"  
"But I would need so much exploring and studies." He replied. "And I cannot hope to understand the light fully without you."

"We will do this together, Ben. Can't you feel it? Those are the places we saw in our vision, the sites where force users has dwelled. And little Ben…"  
"…his inheritance will be this teaching."  
"Yes!"  
She kissed him eagerly.

"I am so excited!" she exclaimed. "I adore you, Ben Solo!"  
"How excited are you?" He said under his breath, laying his hand on her sex. Wonderfully wet.  
She made a pining sound, but led his hand around to the small of her back.  
"I am a little sore at the moment." She said. "But there is another place where I long to feel you."

Then she turned around, leaving her naked buttocks exposed to him. He had two small shocks of greedy arousal at the sight.  
The first was when he saw the firm delicious curves. The other was when the fresh tattoo, placed alluringly in the sway-back, became visible.  
Three simple letters spelled out his name in the Aurebesh alphabet.  
He should be completely spent from the overheated pleasures, the extreme yearning and violent lust from her oral services in that dress, her handsfree orgasm and the breaking of her hymen.  
Seeing his mark on her now took him to a whole new plane of perverse desires.

"I will never allow you to leave this bed." He said, giving her a light slap on her buttocks.  
She made such a lustful moan that his sex responded with pulsating twitches.  
"I will make you ready again, Master." She said. "But first, I would wish to have you cleansed. Is there a bathroom here?"  
He threw her over his shoulder again and marched to the bathroom.

Rey gasped at its luxury as soon as he put her down. She kneeled in front of the bathtub, gazing out of its window with a terrific view over the city. His patience ran out within seconds. He wound his arm around her waist and carried her into the shower, letting her down to face the tiled wall and pressed against her from behind.  
"My name is on it and I intend to use what is mine." He said.

Then he washed her nether parts and thighs clean carefully, even licking parts of it off, making fresh juices trickle from her. When it was her turn, she kneeled and wiped his limb clean with so much tender devotion, the blood started to fill it again. Her warm, wet mouth took him in, encouraging his needs and showing her eagerness to fulfill them.

Leading him back to the bed, she stopped to take a small tin out of her dress and handed it to him.  
He stared at her and she winked before placing herself on the bed, on all fours.

Fortunately, he was not in an age where he could get a heart attack easily, but he still fumbled like a teenager when he prepared them and pulled at her legs to get her flat down on her stomach. She strained to open up for him, making loud noises and crying his name breathlessly as he squeezed inside. He lasted only for a few minutes before reaching a painstakingly powerful release. Strange that there was even any seed left in him.

Drawing out, he leaned down and kissed her sex deeply, letting his tongue and fingers work there until she had screamed out two orgasms, clutching the pillow.  
Their exhausted bodies found each other, merging into a cluster of intertwined arms and legs.  
Ben fell asleep with his lips touching her brow, knowing peace as he had never known it before.

 **xxx**

It was near dawn when they woke up.  
Rey's stomach was making a lot of noise. Hunger was nothing new to her, but since her life with the rebels started, she was used to getting regular meals. She sat up and decided to search the apartment for something edible.  
Ben's hand closed around her wrist.  
"Where are you going?"  
"Hungry." She replied.  
He rose and swept one of the bed sheets around her.  
"Then come with me."

This new place had a lot of nice surprises in it, but nothing compared to the terrace he now showed her. There was a low table filled with delicious-looking food and drink, with two thick, generous pillows beside it.  
The city stretched out in eternity before them, the dark blue sky gaining a soft red gleam at the horizon.  
"I told you." Ben said, pouring red liquid into a glass goblet and holding it out to her. "This is how it should be."  
Rey took a greedy sip and coughed.  
"It's strong!"  
"It's wine."  
"Oh. I always wanted to try it."  
"I figured."

They sat down, scuffing the pillows close together, so that no skin contact would be lost. Rey tried to taste a bit of everything she could find on the table, drinking it down with wine. When she was done, she lay down in Ben's lap and closed her eyes, her head spinning from the strong beverage.  
"That was the best food I have ever had." She sighed.  
Ben stroked her hair.  
"You can have it as often as you like."

She rose and straddled him, her limbs feeling thick and strange. He was hard against her stomach and she rolled her hips wantonly, kissing him deeply. The wine numbed the soreness and she was desperate for him. Would this furious lust between them ever settle?  
Guiding him inside, she sank down on him, letting him stretch and fill her in a familiar, maddening way. She rode him softly at first, but as their excitement grew, she picked up pace and rubbed against his stomach until a pounding pinnacle broke out of her. He was close to joining her.

"No." She gasped. "Wait. Please! Just a little longer…"  
This position was intoxicating. She started to rub against him again, this time frantically. Soon another, more intense pleasure shook her. He took hold of her waist to keep it fixed as he thrust his own climax into her.

They collapsed on the pillows, pulling the sheet that had covered Rey over their bodies. Their kisses and caresses came in a fever. She felt bruised and sore all over, but somehow it only exalted the pleasure. He went down between her legs again, doing those things with his tongue that drove her insane. Climax built upon climax until there was no strength left in any of them. They fell asleep with his head resting on her belly.

A signal from the door woke them up.  
The sun was visible over the horizon and a cooling morning breeze swept over the terrace.  
"It's Leia and Ben!" Rey said, scrambling to her feet.

Ben threw her a tank top and a pair of pants when they were inside.  
"There's some basic clothing from the rebel base here, but we'll have to do something about your terrorist outfit." He said.  
She smiled mischievously.  
Both of them nearly ran to the door to let Leia inside.

There was so much pure and simple joy coming from little Ben as they took turns embracing and kissing him.  
"I am attending a meeting with Luke and the city council in a little while." Leia said. "I will pick him up tonight. I am guessing you need some more time for yourselves?"  
Rey felt a blush spread on her face. Ben nodded with a smirk.

"What is the meeting about?" Rey asked.  
"Retrieving the old Jedi temple for a new generation of force users." Leia replied.  
Rey nodded and had pleasant foreboding chills.

Once Leia had gone, Rey and Ben crawled up on the bed with their son. Rey nursed him while lying in Ben's arms. She closed her eyes.  
A vivid picture appeared of a red haired young man with Ben's dark eyes. He was holding a green lightsaber and had just done something very important, for the Republic was rewarding him in the senate, giving him a title as the leading protector of the republican galaxy.  
A small tear trickled down her cheek.  
"What is it?" Ben asked.  
"Just that… now I know that everything is going to be alright."

 **THE END**

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 **If you have enjoyed this story, please leave a review, a hug or a piece of chocolate. It will mean a lot to me if you do, even if you just write "like" or "beep beep boop". :-)**  
 **May the force be with you. Always.**


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